engleski

Ageing of Consumers' and Its Impact on Human Resource Management in Retailing

Society is facing new challenges as the population of the world is ageing and the number of people aged 60+years is increasing. Advancing age brings about changes in consumers preferences for products, especially for services. As the most crucial link between suppliers and consumers, retailers have recognized the value of this fastest-growing segment and have adapted their merchandise, in- store design, pricing policy, etc. Due to the fact that elderly people have feelings of insecurity and loneliness, and need for assistance in some activities, the focus of this paper is on the retailers` front office, i.e. staff which is responsible for direct communication with consumers. However, implementing such practices requires high- quality staff while retailers face a human resource environment characterized by a large number of inexperienced workers, long working hours, highly visible employees, a diverse workforce, and many part-time workers. The main purpose of this paper is to shed light on the interrelationships between consumers` ageing and the challenges they cause for human resource management in retailing. It has been explored in a qualitative study among grocery retailers in Croatia which revealed that they failed to fully understand the potential of this market.

human resource management ; retailing ; older consumers

This research was supported by the University of Zagreb, project "Implikacije promjena starosne strukture na kreiranje strategije maloprodaje"