Brands and retailers have a unique opportunity to appeal to the growing group of Third Agers; active, health-conscious seniors who are tech-savvy and defy traditional retirement stereotypes.

What do we mean by the Third Age?

First coined by gerontology researchers in 1986, ‘Third Age’ refers to people in the third stage of their lives. After retirement but before the onset of serious health issues, often described as the ‘golden years’. It’s a period when people have both the time and money to enjoy life, making this generation an exciting and lucrative audience.

While every person is different, these days, Third Agers are generally healthier and wealthier than ever before. They value time with family and friends, love to travel, explore new hobbies and stay active. Far from the stereotypical image of slowing down, many are gym-goers, socially conscious, tech-savvy, and even navigating the dating world. As the global population ages and lifestyles evolve, brands and retailers have a unique opportunity to engage with this growing audience.

Designing for the Third Age

As people live longer and healthier lives, the need for more inclusive design is crucial. Brands and designers must consider factors like reduced dexterity and vision changes to ensure their products are accessible to all. This isn’t just about catering to older people – it’s about future-proofing designs so that consumers don’t feel the need to switch to more adaptive, user-friendly alternatives.

Who’s getting it right?

Several brands have already started innovating for the Third Age with accessible design features that benefit everyone. There is an enormous opportunity for brands and retailers to connect with this often-overlooked generation. To succeed, companies need to shift their perspective: think affluent, active, and fun-loving, rather than outdated stereotypes. With the right approach, brands can tap into this powerful demographic and create lasting customer loyalty by delivering products and experiences tailored to their needs. Here’s a few of our top picks:

Duerr’s

Our re-design for heritage brand Duerr’s, the oldest family-owned jam maker in England, includes an “orbit” two-piece lid that ensures easier opening and inclusivity for consumers of all ages.

John West

Launching their Ecotwist packaging and canning their old can to go full eco is John West’s way of helping the planet but also offering ‘a no plastic wrap, less waste, no faff better quality can for all’.  They developed a new can and packaging to reduce the amount of plastic wrap, paper labels and metal they use, whilst improving the quality of the fish inside. Making their products easier to “enjoy and recycle”, but also accessible for everyone with an aluminium strip to twist and pull the cans apart.

Olay

Olay developed the first-ever easy open lid in the beauty sector, featuring Braille lettering, winged edges for better grip as well as high-contrast labelling for improved visibility.  More than a cosmetic upgrade, this gave people with vision impairments and dexterity challenges greater independence in their daily routine. Olay demonstrated their commitment to inclusion through accessible packaging.

Aunt Bessie’s

We evolved Aunt Bessie’s packaging back in 2022 to be more accessible for visually impaired shopper by incorporating Navilens technology. This allows users to scan the pack from a distance to access the product information through an app, without needing to find small QR codes close up. Making the packaging easier to read and ensures ingredients and cooking instructions are accessible to all.

How can you appeal to Third Agers?

As we’ve revealed, designing for Third Agers requires an approach that acknowledges their wealth of experience, their financial strength, and their lust for life. Read more in our blog “Third agers’ are not an afterthought” for more insight into why it’s time for designers to stop patronising the older generation. In the meantime, here’s our top 4 take outs to remember: