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Spatial Aspects of the Shopping Patterns of the Urban Elderly: The Case of Central Area Apartment Dwellers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2010

Geoffrey C. Smith
Geoffrey C. Smith
Affiliation:
University of Manitoba
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Abstract

This paper offers an exploratory investigation of spatial aspects of the shopping patterns of elderly downtown residents. Attention is explicitly focused on their usage fields, transport modes, and shopping context. The shopping behaviour of the elderly is evaluated with reference to that of a baseline group of non-elderly consumers. The data are obtained from a questionnaire/interview survey of random samples of elderly and non-elderly apartment dwellers in the central area of Winnipeg. The findings indicate that the elderly's shopping trips are largely restricted to the central business district. In contrast, the non-elderly exhibit more extensive movement patterns, particularly when purchasing relatively expensive items. These differences appear to be related to the higher level of transport deprivation among elderly persons, although some are able to compensate for their limited mobility by travelling as bus or automobile passengers.

Résumé

La présente communication rend compte d'une recherche préliminaire concernant les déplacements des acheteurs âgés domiciliés au centre ville. La recherche porte sur les domaines et les moyens de transport ainsi que sur le contexte des achats. Un groupe jeune sert de témoin. Les sujets, choisis au hasard, habitent au centre ville de Winnipeg, dans des maisons de rapport. Les données proviennent d'une enquête comportant questionnaire/entrevue, les résultats indiquent que le territoire parcouru par les acheteurs âgés se limite au centre commercial de la ville, tandis que celui des jeunes est plus étendu, notamment lorsque le coût des articles achetés est plus élevé. La différence semble liée à la difficulté de se déplacer éprouvée par les personnes âgées, encore que certains utilisent l'autobus ou se fassent conduire en automobile.

Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 3 , Issue 3 , September 1984 , pp. 133 - 146
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 1984

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