In June 2021, a 55-year-old shopper headed to Europe on her first post-pandemic trip walked through the doors of a J. McLaughlin store in Naples, Fla., with a suitcase in hand instead of a shopping bag.
“She asked the manager to pack it…” [the manager] “They literally packed a suitcase with 20 outfits and three pairs of shoes and returned it to us,” said Mary Ellen Coyne, CEO of J. McLaughlin.
The shopper was representative of J.McLaughlin’s customer demographic: a woman between 45 and 65 years old who is at the peak of her purchasing power and often has plenty of time to leave work and shop. Historically ignored by fashion brands in their advertising and products, she is loyal to brands that meet her needs. Case in point: J.McLaughlin’s most prolific shopper shopped with her 14 or more times in 2023, Coyne said.
While the fashion industry may be hoping to attract Gen Z (and increasingly Gen Alpha) shoppers, it’s Gen X and Baby Boomers who have the real buying power. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 17.7% of the population will be 65 or older as of August 2023, up from 13% in 2010 and a record high. The number of women over 50 is expected to increase by 70% by 2050, according to AARP.
Not only are older consumers a growth force, they are also especially valuable during tough times for fashion and retail: While younger generations, who have not had much time to build their financial foundations, are more susceptible to economic uncertainty, mature consumers are more resilient to such ups and downs.
“There are so many benefits to appealing to consumers who have the most money right now,” said Anita Silhorn van Veen, executive director of strategy at McKinney, an advertising agency that has worked with brands including Skechers and Columbia.
Brands seem to be taking notice: Last season, Balmain, Proenza Schouler, Miu Miu and Batsheva all featured older models on their runways. Loewe used 89-year-old Maggie Smith to advertise its Puzzle bag in October, and 50-something models Kate Moss and Cindy Crawford have appeared in numerous fashion campaigns this year for Balenciaga (Moss), MCM and Donna Karan (Crawford).
But finding and speaking to older shoppers is becoming more complicated. It takes more than a trendy TikTok or a well-placed TV ad. Some stick to magazines and TV, but most consume across digital, print and brick-and-mortar. They’re savvy and expect a higher level of service and personalization. Reaching them in a meaningful way takes clear targeting and time. And age-based messaging is long gone.
“There are forgotten women, forgotten men out there who still want to dress up, who still want to go out,” said Andrew MacLean, chief executive of clothing company Lands’ End, whose average consumer age is 62.
Where to Find Middle-Aged Shoppers
People over 50 may have grown children and are nearing retirement, but they still love to shop, but they’re not the first choice for most brands. With so few brands speaking directly to consumers, those that do it well stand to benefit.
“We represent a significant portion of our customers’ closets, and our most loyal customers come in monthly to look at products as inventory runs low,” Coyne said.
But brands just getting introduced to these consumers need to figure out how to best reach them: The older a consumer is, the more likely they are to be interested in traditional media like print magazines, catalogs and television, said Allen Adamson, co-founder of marketing firm Metaforce.
For these more traditional shoppers, the catalog remains a key sales driver, but so are the brick-and-mortar stores. Sometimes the two work hand in hand: J.McLaughlin has nearly 200 stores, including 27 in Florida, a retirement haven, where customers bring the catalog into the store and show them what they’d like to try on, Coyne said. J.McLaughlin salespeople regularly visit patrons to offer styling advice and answer questions, building relationships with shoppers. Brick-and-mortar stores account for 75% of J.McLaughlin’s sales.
But these shoppers are also active online, especially on Facebook and Instagram. They’re driving the fashion and beauty conversation across age groups, and J.McLaughlin is seeking out influencers in this demographic, including stylists Anne Caruso and Angela Hauenstein and fashion consultant Filipa de Abreu.
“On TikTok, we see people in their 40s, 50s and 60s talking about fashion and beauty choices in a way that’s real and not ‘Golden Girls’,” says Silhorn van Veen. “The image of aging is fundamentally different.”
Ageing transition
The online face of seniors is changing, but what these consumers want remains the same: While the stunt may spark online conversations among younger people, older shoppers know what they like and what they want to entertain, said Silhoon van Veen.
“As we get older, we’re less interested in fuss-filled things and want things that last and bring us fun and joy,” says Silhorn van Veen.
J.Mclaughlin pays close attention to its customers’ lifestyles, developing marketing and products that are relevant to their unique and changing interests. For example, when pickleball became more popular, the brand started selling shorts with pickleball pockets. And when the brand saw customers become interested in needlepoint, they shared tutorials on Instagram.
Changing the imagery used in its catalogs, site and Instagram from stale product shots to trend-driven, styled imagery that shows its products integrated into everyday life has helped Lands’ End sell more products to loyal customers at full price and appeal to a new, younger, fashion-first demographic, McLean said. The brand has released seasonal, travel-focused imagery, featuring jacket-clad models on mountain tops in the winter and sailing in the summer.
“We wanted to be a brand that aligned with our customers’ lifestyle. We want to be with them on every journey, whether that be travelling, going on holiday or walking the dog,” McLean said.
Demographics aren’t monolithic, and the best way to market to older shoppers will (and should) vary from brand to brand, especially as digitally savvy millennials start to age. But what’s the biggest rule for selling to older consumers? Don’t tie everything to age.
“Nobody wants to think of themselves as ‘older,’ they want to be seen as they are,” says Silhorn van Veen. At the same time, they’re not trying to look younger, she adds. “Don’t treat them like they’re trying to be Gen Z.”
