Shoppers call for 'boomer hour' at supermarkets because elderly customers take up too much space

Going for a shop at your local supermarket looks very different now compared to a few years ago.

Thankfully, we are well past those frantic journeys to the grocery store with face mask in hand and an attitude of 'get out of my way'.

The Covid-19 pandemic brought out the worst in shoppers as they clambered for toilet paper, fought over scarce supplies and forced supermarkets to introduce rations.

Elderly people were given a special hour in the morning so they could get their shopping done in peace.

While that might have been a relic of lockdown, it seems like some shoppers are keen for this to have a revival.

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Younger customers are calling on supermarkets to introduce a 'boomer hour', according to 3AW Radio.

They're complaining that older shoppers move slower, chat more to others, and block aisles with their trolleys.

One person said elderly customers should save their chit-chat for outside the supermarket.

“This means not using the entire width of supermarket aisles as a catch-up spot to discuss what cruise Bazza’s on, or how the tenants in Jenny’s 13th investment property are really grinding her gears because they want the aircon fixed before summer. Not at 5pm on a weekday," they wrote on social media.

However, another shopper said having a dedicated 'boomer hour' still wouldn't change the way they perused the aisles.

“Which is usually blocking three freezer doors or a full aisle, or standing at the register telling the 15-year-old girl about her gas bill discount, while people behind me are going insane," they said.

Woolworths didn't respond to the call, however Coles said it wasn't on their agenda.

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“We currently offer Quiet Hour which is a low-sensory shopping experience that’s easy on the eyes and ears and is offered at participating Coles stores every Tuesday between 10.30am to 11.30am," a spokesperson told the Herald Sun.

Even if the big supermarkets did bend to the demand, consumer behaviour analyst Barry Urquhart reckons it wouldn't alleviate the problem.

"It won't work because they are a primary driver of the marketplace at the moment," he told 7News.

"At a time where the cost of living and the cost of doing business is acute, you can't turn and marginalise any consumer group.

"Those Australians who have got the money and are spending it are 50 years of age and older, they are very attractive to retail businesses at large."

Topics: Australia

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Senior Journalist at LADbible. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign. He is in charge of the LADbible Australia editorial content and social presence.

@stewartperrie