Design for Future: Retail Frontiers

How can inclusive design improve the shopping experience? The Design for Future exhibition presents inspirational ideas, new product and service design concepts for developing more exciting retail service. The exhibition is based on a 3-year research project funded by UK Research Council.

Please join their exhibition from 22nd to 24th September at Calvert No.22 Gallery.

A global ageing population is something that societies need to consider when catering for older people’s needs. It has been forecast that, by 2050, the number of individuals classified as old in the world could rise over 2 billion (ONS, 2013; World Population Ageing Report, 2009). Such a demographic shift means that this age group is of considerable interest to retailers and it is important that any research that is undertaken takes into consideration dimensions such as transportation service, social care, and pension systems could be improved. Supermarkets are undoubtedly one of the most prominent retail outlets that impact on their day-to-day life. However, very few studies have intensely investigated their shopping experiences in supermarkets. Improving their experiences in shopping and their lifestyle remains an elusive goal for many retailers. To address this and to understand differences across cultures and supermarkets in the UK and China the Silver Shoppers project investigates the supermarket shopping experiences of consumers over the age of 65. The purpose of the research is to improve the retail environment design for this group of shoppers. A better understanding of the shopping behaviour and experience, values, and capabilities of this growing population has implications for retail business strategy, social policy and future research on ageing and well-being. The Design for Future will exhibit key research findings that represent shopping behaviours of older customers in the UK and China and new product & service design ideas to improve supermarket service and environment for this group of customers.

Based at Winchester School of Art, University of Southampton, the Silver Shoppers project is supported by an ESRC Future Research Leaders Grant held by Principal Investigator Dr Yuanyuan Yin with Dr. Ashok Ranchhod, Professor Maria Evandrou and Professor John Ensor as mentors, with further supports from the University of Southampton, Tsinghua University, Brunel University, Edinburgh Napier University and Nanjing University.