By Christian Rothenberg, dpa I Monday, Jan. 29, 2024
BERLIN – Germans aged between 55 and 75 are digitally savvy, with activities such as shopping online, surfing on a smartphone and writing messages on WhatsApp now part of everyday life, a study has shown.
Nevertheless, Germany’s baby boomers continue to rely on tried-and-tested media such as traditional, terrestrial television and printed newspapers, according to the study by management consultants PwC due to be published next week and made available to dpa in advance.
A total of 1,000 people from the 55-75 age group were asked about their consumer behaviour and media use in an online survey during the month of October.
According to PwC, 94% are equipped with a smartphone, with six out of 10 using it to surf the internet every day.
Messenger services and social media also play a major role in the lives of this generation, with 82% communicating regularly using a messenger service such as WhatsApp. A total of 34% visit Facebook, the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, or Instagram every day.
Many use online banking and shopping once or several times a week.
“People aged 55 and over are a highly relevant target group whose purchasing power is a key driver of private consumption in Germany,” said Christian Wulff from PwC. “In terms of media use and online shopping, there are certainly parallels with younger age groups.”
In the survey, 44% of respondents appreciate the benefits of digital technologies and believe that they make life easier, things can be done more quickly and it is easier to stay in touch with friends and family. Only 12% think that digitalization makes everyday life more complicated, while 44% agree with the statement that digitalization makes life both easier and more complicated.
At the same time, most baby boomers stick to tried-and-tested habits. They shop most frequently in bricks-and-mortar stores, with some 80% going into a shop at least once a week.
When it comes to reading newspapers and magazines, the print version is still more popular: 50% read books every day, while only 14% read e-books. The printed newspaper is read by 40% every day, with the digital version coming in at 35%.
A total of 71% listen to the radio every day, while 23% use streaming services such as Spotify.
People between 55 and 75 spend most of their media time in front of the television, with 76% watching traditional TV for more than an hour a day, while streaming services such as Netflix are only consumed as intensively by 34%. One in three respondents plays a video game at least once a week.
Most baby boomers also like to pay in the traditional way, with 85% preferring to pay in cash in shops, 61% with a debit card and only 6% with mobile payment systems such as Apple Pay.
According to the PwC study, consumers in this age group are particularly loyal to brands, with 87% stating that they frequently buy products from the same brands.
Sustainability is also an important issue, with 40% saying they pay attention to environmentally friendly packaging and 39% to animal welfare.
