A Surprising Turnaround: From Sighs of "At Least Read the Instructions" to Doubling Sales by Welcoming Seniors

Card Spending by Seniors Surges—A Lifeline for Local Businesses

Excluded by Kiosks and Apps—Digital Barriers in Youth-Centric Districts

"Seniors Should Be Seen as Equal Consumers, Not Just Recipients of Sympathy"

"Sitting there without even a computer, I just felt like I didn't belong."

Soonhee Park (age 79) recently stopped by a franchise cafe near her home but quickly turned around and left. While she hesitated in front of the unmanned ordering kiosk, adjusting her reading glasses, a man standing behind her sighed and said, "At least read the instructions before you press something." Park confided, "I felt sad that I had to be self-conscious just because I’m old."

On the other hand, the atmosphere in some of Seoul’s older downtown alley business districts is completely different. Sungman Kim (age 52), who runs a cafe in Jongno-gu, Seoul, recently made the bold decision to remove the kiosk and instead furnished the space with plush chairs and wooden tables. Soon after, regular customers in their 60s to 80s began to pour in. With cool air conditioning and the subtle aroma of traditional Ssanghwa tea filling the shop, the cafe has become a cozy gathering place for seniors. Kim explained, "I’m so much more thankful for the elderly customers who come in every day to share a cup of tea and check in, compared to the college students who just occupy seats with laptops all day," adding, "Since shifting my target customers, table turnover and sales have both more than doubled."

Elderly customers are spending time enjoying drinks at a coffee shop in Jongno-gu, Seoul. This place, where staff take orders directly without kiosks and sell traditional teas, has more than 80% of its customers aged senior. Photo by Hosu Park

As the digital transition and age discrimination pushed seniors out of daily life, the elderly population is now emerging as a new consumer force in offline business districts. Shops that make a conscious effort to welcome older customers are seeing an increase in regulars, while businesses with high digital barriers still see seniors hesitate to even set foot inside.

A restaurant in Jung-gu, Seoul replaced its fusion brunch menu aimed at young office workers with full-course barley gulbi (dried yellow corvina) meals priced in the 20,000-won range. With new brass dishes and immaculate table settings, the main clientele shifted to men in their 60s and 70s. Restaurant owner Mr. Choi (age 64) said, "Thanks to seniors frequently choosing this place for gatherings or reunions, the atmosphere of the restaurant feels warm." Nearby cafes are also replacing unmanned payment kiosks with paper menus and branding themselves as cool shelters, putting active effort into attracting silver customers.

The efforts of self-employed business owners to better serve seniors are driven not just by a sense of warmth, but because seniors’ spending power is increasing and making them a new and noteworthy consumer demographic. According to an analysis of individual credit and debit card transaction data by KB Kookmin Card, as of last year, card spending among customers aged 65 and older surged 143% over 2019. This is more than four times the growth rate of total customer spending during the same period (34%). The number of senior customers also increased by 102%.

In particular, over the past year (from May 2025 to April 2026), 86% of spending by customers aged 65 and older in major industry categories occurred in offline commercial areas. Based on the number of transactions, restaurants accounted for 38% and coffee and dessert specialty shops accounted for 10%. By directly visiting stores instead of relying on online shopping or delivery apps, silver generations are becoming a truly valuable source of income for self-employed business owners.

Mr. Heo (82) is using a vending machine coffee near Tapgol Park in Jongno-gu, Seoul. He said, "Vending machine coffee still feels more comfortable than coffee shops where young people go," and added, "Places with kiosks make me feel awkward when ordering."

However, while more business districts now recognize seniors as a key consumer group, the everyday barriers they feel remain high. As soon as they leave these senior-friendly zones, they face digital barriers and age discrimination.

Ms. Jung (age 76), who recently visited a dessert cafe in Seoul with friends, had to turn away at the entrance. She got confused in front of a QR code sign by the door, only to be told by a staff member, "You have to pre-register using the mobile reservation app in order to enter." Jung said, "I simply can’t manage steps like installing apps or verifying my identity, so I just left," and added, "It hurt to see the young customers looking at us like we were outsiders."

Professor Young-Ae Lee from the Department of Consumer Studies at Incheon National University noted, "Although seniors are becoming a major consumer group, commercial and leisure spaces are still designed primarily for younger generations." She emphasized, "We need to shift our mindset to view seniors not just as targets for accommodation, but as equal consumers and members of society."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.