Alibaba is leading the movement for elder-friendly eCommerce. This week, it announced a version of its Taobao shopping app that specifically caters to this demographic, with a larger interface and the ability to link to a relative’s account so that the user’s children can help view and pay for products if needed.
The Chinese eCommerce giant is also partnering with brick-and-mortar stores and even building its own, such as the Hema Supermarket, which only accepts payments by mobile phone. The goal of these real-world outposts is to meet older customers where they’re already shopping and ease them into the digital commerce experience.