Supermarketers target Seniors in Austria

North American supermarketers are watching with interest a European experiment in catering to the needs of older citizens. In 2003, the Adeg supermarket chain launched Adeg Aktiv Markt 50+ in Salzburg, Austria, designed specifically to appeal and cater to older customers. Its sales ran 5 percent above the chain average, prompting Adeg to open another 50+ store in Salzburg and two in Vienna this year. Adeg, owned by German retailer Edeka, operates more than 900 stores across Austria. Aktiv Markt is the Adeg chain’s smaller, urban format.   Supermarkets in the central cities of Europe are often cramped, dingy little spaces with narrow aisles and goods piled to the ceiling. Because many urban dwellers still prefer to shop the old-fashioned way—daily, with a trip to the greengrocer for produce, butcher for meat and Bäckerei (bakery) for bread and dessert—supermarkets’ selections of fresh items can be dismal.   A May visit to one of Adeg Aktiv Markt 50+’s two Vienna locations revealed a store that would feel familiar to American shoppers, but with a design modified specifically to meet the needs of seniors. Such modifications include reduced-glare lighting and slip-proof flooring; wider aisles and easier-to-navigate parking spaces; reduced-height shelving and pleasant