Call for supermarkets to help older people shop for their life

Researchers have found that older people who rely on home shopping services could be left out of the online shopping revolution as councils struggle to introduce technology-based alternatives.

Prepared for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Teleshopping for older and disabled people, by Professor James Barlow of Tanaka Business School and Dr Mary Breeze (Dolphin Society / Bristol City Council), looks at the problems of replacing costly and complex council home shopping services with new approaches based around the use of the internet.

Professor Barlow said he was surprised at how difficult it was proving to introduce alternative approaches: "Most people today wouldn't think twice about using the internet for a whole range of shopping activities. But many older people are unable to do so - not necessarily because they don't have access to a computer, don't know how to use one or don't trust the internet. The big problem is how you pay for the goods. Many older people don't have a card they could use to pay for goods online. Overcoming this will require collaboration between the banks, the supermarkets and local councils and there is no sign of this happening."

In 2002 around 150,000 households in the UK received home shopping services from their local authority, and many more were unable to shop for themselves but were ineligible for council care, instead relying on family, friends or private care.

Professor Barlow said the problem was becoming more acute as the number of older people living independently increased, and social services struggled to support them: "Some Councils have responded by trying out internet and phone shopping schemes - but much more needs to be done. The Government is introducing initiatives to combat this 'digital divide', including public access points and wired up communities, but these initiatives do not overcome the mobility issues that prevent some people from shopping in the first place."

The report reviews services offered now and several teleshopping trials in Bristol, but concludes that in the short term none of the options could replace the current home shopping services already provided by local authorities. It emphasises that supermarket chains must take some responsibility in making home shopping more accessible to people without computers or credit cards.

"If they really want to be customer focused, then the major supermarkets need to adapt their systems to help housebound people and substantially improve their quality of life. And this could well prove a growing market niche for the supermarkets over the next few years," said Professor Barlow.

Notes to editors:

· 48% of UK households (11.9 million) could access the net from home by the end of 2003 (National Statistics Omnibus Survey, 2004)

· Of the 54% that regularly access the net, 47% use it to buy goods and services - of that 47%, 23% bought food and groceries

· Tesco has the largest share of the online grocery market, with annual sales of around £350m and coverage of 95% of the population, compared to £110m for Sainsbury's, with 75% coverage (http:www.igd.com/analysis/index/htm?sitemap_fs.asp -28 March 2003)

· Teleshopping for older and disabled people: An evaluation of the Dophin Society and Bristol City Council trials by James Barlow and Mary Breeze, is published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and available from York Publishing Services, 64 Hallfield Road, Layerthorpe, York YO31 7ZQ (01904 430033) price £14.95 plus £2.00 p&p.