Consumer Ageism Towards the Older Population

Abstract

The share of old age population is growing across the world, and developing countries are going to see the impact of such demographic change in the coming years. Ageism is identified as a major challenge in the wellbeing of the ageing population. Ageism negatively impacts the old age population by influencing their physical, mental, social, and financial health. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) focus on ensuring intergenerationality and thus require societal institutions to address ageism and ensure equity across age groups. This chapter explores ageing, ageism, its drivers, and impacts. It is a review-based chapter. It further examines consumer ageism and identifies that old age consumers are underrepresented, stereotyped, and their diversity is often ignored. It examines the scope of sustainability marketing and concludes by presenting possibilities for sustainability marketing in addressing issues related to consumer ageism.