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It's the young that use technology the most, right? Pretty much. But, whilst that's generally true, we certainly shouldn't forget about our elders. They're far more tech-savvy than you think. Because of this, our seniors are going to have more of an impact on e-commerce and mobile tech industries than you could imagine.

Seniors: Still in the Game...and Changing It!

When we think of technology, we think of Millennials taking selfies and posting them on social media, and playing with must-have gadgets. Constantly connected and digitally disposed, the younger generations are driving the tech industry and everything connected with it, such as e-commerce and app development. Because of this, these generations are constantly in the sights of marketers trying to crack their consumption code.

But when we think of elders, we think of sweet, docile seniors sitting in a rocking chair reminiscing about the "good old days", and doing not much else. Tech is either absent or rudimentary in this idyllic image.

However, that picture couldn't be further from the truth.

Dispelling stereotypes and understanding just how connected and switched-on seniors are in today's society is actually key to tapping into what will be a growing e-commerce and digital market sector. Aging populations mean we're only going to have bigger senior cohorts in future years. Furthermore, these elders may well be as tech-hungry as today's youngsters.

So, let's explore how and why seniors are nowhere near the technophobes we think them to be, and what this means for the tech industry. We'll also take a snapshot of how this currently affects Listonic's apps' usage.

Why Are Seniors So Surprisingly Tech-Savvy?

The answer is because they own devices. But how do they get them?

The main reason behind elderly ownership of smart devices is that younger family members often gift them to elders.

But why and what for?

Well, they want to keep in touch. Even when bought by seniors on their own volition, being connected is the main reason the elderly have devices such as smartphone and tablets.

Indeed, according to research by , 42% of seniors 65 and older own a smartphone, and 32% own a tablet.

Other research found that 82% of adults over 65 years of age use the internet daily for searching, with 69% checking social media on a daily basis too.

Elders also use regularly use Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) applications, like Skype, to keep in touch with family members and friends. They also play casual games for entertainment.

In short, a lot more seniors are using technology than we think. So much so that, in Australia, it was found that device addiction is worse in seniors as it is in younger generations.

Are Seniors Online Shoppers?

Absolutely!

As well as using devices for social and entertainment reasons, seniors are also using technology to shop.

Senior citizens make up for 28% of online shopping purchases. Whilst, the generation below, the Baby Boomers, make up 41%.

But that doesn't mean that seniors are abandoning brick and mortar stores. Many still prefer to shop at them. But things that entice seniors to shop online include:

• Better availability of product information online - labeling in stores might be difficult to read and also lack of comprehensive information, putting seniors off shopping there. This is something that is easily remedied online.
• No badly located products - products placed on shelves too low or too high cause difficulty for seniors with mobility issues
• No long queues - surveyed seniors greatly dislike waiting in line for too long
• Easier to find discounts - seniors love coupons and discounts. Finding them consolidated online rather than sifting through individuals brochures is more convenient.
• Better comfort - a lack of seating in stores can make shopping difficult for senior citizens. Shopping online can be done in complete comfort.

Are Elders Using Listonic?

We can talk a lot about the potential of the senior market, but what is the picture at the moment?

Looking at the demographics of our own apps, there's not much evidence to show that seniors are as engaged with them.

Our app, which has the most potential to tap into the elderly demographic, Listonic (shopping list app), sees only a fraction of senior usage compared to other age groups.

People 55 years of age and up comprise only 8% of our users. The majority of our users are in the 24-35 years old bracket.

Even though this number is small, it still accounts for more than 75k elderly global users. That's certainly more seniors than you can shake a walking stick at.

So does this mean that seniors are not as savvy as discussed?

Not necessarily.

So much market research these days is spent looking at Millennials and Generation Z that seniors are forgotten about and therefore are not marketed to or designed for. Listonic could potentially increase its appeal and use by a senior audience by targetting this potential market. We can do this by making adjustments to our digital presence and app design that would make them more senior-friendly.

What Does This Mean For The Tech-Industry?

As more and more seniors are predicted to start using the internet and apps for shopping and other purposes, website and app developers will certainly need to make their products senior-friendly if they want to attract capitalize on "grey pride".

Things that developers will need to take into account are design features that make it easier for the elderly to use apps and websites as their motor and vision skills start to deteriorate. This includes things like:

• Cleaner interfaces - simple and not too busy, avoiding complex features
• Larger icons, pictures, and buttons - easier for seniors to see
• Comprehensive and clear product details - this provides an edge over the minimal information displayed in grocery stores and shops
• Clearly placed contact information - seniors hold good customer service in high regard, so being able to contact someone easily is essential

At Listonic, we could do with taking these considerations into account too. If not, we could get left behind from a market sector that could surprisingly boost our business.

Certainly, we will not be the only app developer looking to make changes to appeal to the elderly. Tapping into this demographic may well become as important as keeping the young and naturally digitally dexterous on board with our products.

From the most successful Veganuary on record at the beginning of 2019 to the ketogenic craze of 2018, there’s surely no signs of people wanting to lose weight and/or get healthy. As always, our users are just as keen to be their best possible selves as the rest of us. But what can our American, British, and Canadian users’ grocery lists tell us about the health of their respective countries?

Canada Puts More Fruit and Vegetables on Their Shopping Lists than the USA and UK.

Our data shows that Canada has the healthiest of shopping lists out of our 3 contenders

Fruit and vegetables make up just over 20% of Canadians’ grocery lists.

The UK comes in next with produce making up just less than 18% of shopping lists, with the USA lagging behind with healthy fruit and veg only taking up less than 15% of space on their shopping lists.

Canada Goes Nuts for Bananas

Bananas are Canada’s most popular fruit, ranking as the 4th most popular product on Canadian’s grocery lists.

In the USA bananas are also the most popular fruit, coming in as the 7th most popular product. Bananas are also the most popular fruit in the UK coming in 8th position.

However, all countries have the same the three top items on their shopping lists: eggs, bread, and milk.

Canada Buys Less Unhealthy Products than the USA, but More than the UK

Whilst Canada may be buying more fruit and veg than the UK and USA, it’s other shopping habits aren’t as wholesome. The UK buys less food from “unhealthy” categories overall. But Canada still doesn’t buy unhealthy food as much as it’s American neighbor.

Canada Has Lower Obesity Rates….

Of course, just because it’s on your grocery list, doesn’t mean you actually buy it. Even if you do buy it, whether you eat it or not is another matter.

But when you look at obesity rates across the trio of countries, the story matches that of their shopping lists. Canada has the lowest rate of obesity with a rate of only 27.2%¹ of its population classed as obese. This is followed by the UK (27.8%)¹ and the USA (36.2%)¹.

...But Is the Least Active

But, despite its low obesity rates, Canada is surprisingly sedentary. A rather lowly 22%² of adult citizens are meeting the government’s guidelines for daily recommended physical activity. The USA only beats Canada by 1% with 23%³ of adults meeting recommended guidelines. The UK’s physical activity rates are nearly 3x higher, with a whopping 62%⁴ of adults getting their recommended amount of healthy daily exercise.

Healthier Shopping Lists Make for Healthier People

Although our data is circumstantial, it does appear that there’s a case to be made that healthier shopping lists make for healthier people. Canada’s shopping habits are certainly better than the UK and the USA, buying more healthy food than both.

This is especially more compelling when comparing this to Canada’s low amount of people meeting healthy activity guidelines. This suggests that a healthy diet may be more important than exercise.

Therefore, it might be time for people to start making and sticking to a healthier shopping list to combat obesity and help lose weight.

Full Infographic

Sources

1. World Health Organization, 2016
2. Statistics Canada, 2013
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018
4. National Health Service, 2016

Although Listonic has been around for a while, we know we’re not the only grocery list app out there. There are specific grocery list apps such as Out of Milk and Bring, as well as the ability to make grocery lists on to-do list apps like Any.Do. But, our app development is always driven not by what we think is most convenient, but by the needs of our users. But let's forget that we make a grocery list app for a moment, and ponder what are the 7 features the should have.

7 Best Grocery App Features

#1 Fully Free

Everyone loves something for nothing. When was the last time you paid for an app? We’d be surprised if you ever paid for one. But there’s nothing more frustrating than downloading a “free” app and finding that you have to pay to “unlock” certain features. You might be limited to a certain number of lists that you can make and have to pay to create more.

#2 Share and Co-Create With Your Nearest and Dearest

What’s the point of being connected to those closest to you if you can’t show off the things you create. One of the most important features of a grocery list app is the ability to share your grocery lists. It’s one of the main reasons you might want to make a list on your cell phone or tablet. Otherwise, pen and paper will suffice.

But just sending an image isn’t good enough. You should also be able to create lists together. A good shopping list app will allow the people you share lists with to make adjustments and additions. This means everyone has a say about what they want or need, and nothing gets missed out or forgotten.

#3 Items Sorted Aisle by Aisle

There are some things that are always the same across most supermarkets. Fresh fruit, vegetables, and flowers at the entrance, for example. But everything else differs from store to store.

However, things are always grouped by category. Baked beans are in the “canned food” aisles, yogurt is in the “diary” section, and bagels are in the “bakery”.

We think, when you make a shopping list in a grocery shopping app, items should be grouped and sorted into the requisite aisles. This means you can see everything you need to pick up from an aisle in one go, saving you darting around the store in the order things are written on your list.

#4 Price and Budgeting Function

Shopping lists are a great way to help you keep costs down. Saving precious pennies and budgeting are just as important to families now as they have always been. So, we think that a grocery list app should play a key role in this.

The best grocery app should allow you to not only add prices to items but also add them up to give you a projected total of what your shopping is going to cost you. This means, that you can make adjustments and cost-cutting decisions before you even head to the supermarket.

#5 Voice Input

Mobile devices are becoming more and more hands-free. We can also use our voice to control devices in our homes, quickly search for something, or play music using voice assistants such as Alexa, Siri, or Google Home.

Grocery list apps should have voice functionality, too. Adding, removing, or making entire lists using just your voice should be possible. Also, being fully integrated with voice assistants is quickly becoming a must.

#6 Custom Categories & Items

Many grocery list apps offer a wide range of categories for everyday grocery items that you can quickly add to your list. But what if you’re looking for something unique or hard to find? What if something is listed in a category that is not the same as the aisle in your supermarket? Or what if you’re making a shopping list or a checklist for something that isn’t grocery shopping?

Being able to make your own items and create your own categories makes your list more flexible and more “you”. It gives you greater control about how you use it and what you use it for.

#7 Smart Suggestions

Predictive text is nothing new. But rather than just taking a guess based on what letters you’re punching into your keyboard, why can’t a grocery list app suggest things that might be relevant?

Up to 66% of our shopping lists have the same items on them week in, week out. So, rather than waiting until you type in enough letters for your phone or tablet to suggest something, it should first suggest what you usually buy when making a new list. Furthermore, it could suggest related products, such as ketchup and mustard for your weiners.

Bettering the Best

We like to think that Listonic has more of these features, or at least as many, as some of our competitors. But that doesn’t make us rest on our laurels. For the past decade, we have constantly been developing Listonic to make it better for one group of people and one group of people only: our users.

So, if you don’t have our app installed, why not download it from  or and see if we measure up to our competition?

While Listonic is a great grocery list app, we know that some people prefer to streamline their apps and have as many things as possible in one place. If you already use a to-do list or task management app, you can also this to make, keep, and use your grocery lists. Some will certainly find this preferable to keeping a shopping list on a separate iOS or Android shopping list app. So, here are the 8 best shopping list app alternatives to kickstart your life-organization regime in 2020.

8 Best Shopping List App Alternatives 2020

#1 Any.do

One of the world's most popular and downloaded task management apps, what makes this one of the best shopping list app alternatives is that it actually has a built-in grocery list function. You can even convert an ordinary list you've made into a shopping list. It also automatically puts items into aisles categories making it easier to use around the store, helping you to pick up all your items.

#2 Evernote

Just the sheer amount of ways you can make notes in Evernote means it's as flexible and as creative as you are. Being able to add reminders to your list or shopping list means you can get a prompt when your head is full of other tasks. The handwritten notes function is nice if you find typing on a smartphone a little tedious.

#3 Todoist

Todoist is another incredible task management list. What's nice about this app is that you can designate "projects", meaning you can easily sort your groceries apart from other lists so it doesn't get muddled up with them. You can even add "priorities" to items, making them stand out. This means you'll definitely not miss picking them up. Whatsmore, it has a really good "dark mode" if you find bright screens hard to look at.

#4 Microsoft To Do

Microsoft isn't a brand you'd immediately associate with smartphones. But this might change once you've started to use their task management app. Here, you can add separate reminders to individual tasks rather than the entire list. This means that if you really need to get a particular item on a particular day, you can make sure this happens. It also has a nice global pop-up that summarizes your tasks for the day, giving you a better insight into what needs to get done.

#5 Wunderlist

Before Microsoft To Do, there was a little app called Wunderlist that took the world by storm. It's actually built by the same team behind Microsoft To Do, which is heavily based on this original and celebrated app. The main difference is the appearance, although Microsoft To Do does have a few extra features. Otherwise, it works pretty much the same as its successor. Because of this, many people still prefer, and regularly use, Wunderlist.

#6 Google Keep

Google Keep is something you can find as part of the Google suite on your PC and Android phone. But it's something that is also a standalone app and is available on iOS, too. This is good because it's intuitive and simple interface means it's incredibly popular with users. It's particularly good for simple shopping lists and other checklists. You can even add individual items using your voice if you're a bit too strapped for time to type.

#7 Google Tasks

Another Google app that fits seamlessly into the Google suite, but also works perfectly fine a standalone app on Android and iOS, is Google Tasks. It's selling point is its pared-back simplicity. It's literally just a text checklist, and that's it. No fancy features and no colorful gimmicks: just something neat and functional. You can add extra details to items, as well as due dates for individuals products. For a simple shopping list app alternative, you really can't go wrong.

#8 Remember the Milk

It might not be one of the task management superstars, but it's still a to-do list app that's loved by many users and makes for a great shopping list app alternative. It's easy and straightforward to set up a grocery list on here. You can set due dates and priorities with ease, too.

Below you will find an infographic based on data from nearly 84,000 unique users from Spain, who generated 200,000 in 2018 during more than 2,000,000 app sessions. As well as showing what top brands in Spain users add to their lists, we also find out what popular products they buy, what categories they use, and what they name their lists.

While most people in Spain simply name their list ‘compra’, ‘comprar’ or ‘compras’ (11% from total), many give them the name of which retail brand they plan to visit. Mercardona is at the top with (8%), then Carrefour (2%), and Lidl (1%).

 Top products (keywords) on Spanish shopping lists are: "leche" (milk) (5.02%), "huevos" (eggs) (4.57%), and "pan" (bread) (3.42%). Counted against total top 100 by product volume. The next three products are: "agua" (water), "papel higiénico" (toilet paper), and "tomates" (tomatoes).

Top categories on shopping lists in Spain are Fruit and vegetables (13% of all added products), dairy (9%), meat (6%). The next three are home care, bakery, and bulk.

Brand names are rarely used when typing products that people want to buy in the store because the majority of the decisions are made in-store, and often on impulse. Valuable brands in Spain present in the top 100 items list by volume are Coca-Cola and pan Bimbo.

Last week we published an article about . One of those on the list was written by Renaissance artist Michelangelo. What was interesting about Michelangelo's grocery list was that he provided beautiful illustrations for his illiterate servant.

As amazing as Michelangelo's grocery list is, we know that fantastic-looking shopping lists aren't a thing of the past. Here are some shoppers who are worthy of his mantle.

Picture Perfect

This is the task I gave to my hubby last weekend!! Even U guys shud follow this list for happy customers

— Era Londhe (@eralondhe)

Our first shopping list is probably as famous as Michelangelo’s grocery list.

In 2017 a grocery list appeared on the internet made by Era Golwalkar for her husband. She illustrated her shopping list to help her husband buy the correct ingredients.

She didn’t do this because her husband is illiterate (as far as we know, he isn’t). The problem was that, as someone very new to cooking and grocery shopping, sellers would exploit his lack of shopping knowledge.

We hope the meticulously diagrammed list helped Era’s husband. But regardless, it’s impressive to look at.

Don’t Sugar Coat It

Having to deal with a significant issue with your health is difficult. But a good friend can certainly make things easier.

Julia West’s friend was diagnosed with insulin-resistance/pre-diabetes. So, she decided to create an amazing shopping list to help make the necessary diet adjustments.

 The list looks fantastic. It is full of clearly presented information on the type of food the recipient should be buying.

Not only is it made with fantastic penmanship and creativity, but it’s also made with a great deal of love.

Mum’s the Word

Our parents can often surprise us, and redditor u/stonecold1399 got a surprise when they found their mother’s shopping list.

Posting to Reddit’s “PenmanshipPorn” thread, the post simply reads, “I thought my mother’s grocery list belonged here.”

 And we couldn’t agree more, as it's undeniably gorgeous.

Snow Joke

This shopping list belongs to calligrapher Decalex. We’re not sure what’s more intriguing: the luscious curves of their handwriting, or the fact that it's entitled “Snowpocalypse”!?

We hope Decalex stocked up on plenty of the items listed and kept nice and warm. You can follow their work on Snapchat and even buy some of their sumptuous .

Hunger Games

Hunger affects people oddly. Most noticeable is the grumpiness it can cause often referred to as “hanger”.

But we never thought that hunger could make people creative.

Redditor u/giraffequeen360 produced this list whilst their stomach was rumbling. What makes this so fabulous is not only the little illustrations, just like Michelangelo's shopping list. They also took the time to write each item in a different style.

We’d hate to use this list for shopping. It would be a travesty to put a line through any of these wonderfully written groceries.

Graphic Content

For some people, graphic design isn’t only a job: it’s a passion. Yamairah Keller decided that they’d practice their flair for design on their  using the humble shopping list. The results are quite special. There are different layouts, concepts, and writing styles. There are also pictures like Michelangelo's drawings. Keller also toys with categories in one list.

We can’t decide which one of Keller’s shopping lists is our favorite. They’re all delectable!

All Enveloping

Calligrapher Seb Lester made an awe-inspiring shopping list on the back of an envelope. The contrast between the mundane ephemera and the beauty of Lester’s calligraphy is playful and exquisite to look at.

Like Michelangelo's grocery list, Lester made something humdrum, written on something fleeting and forgettable, into a real piece of art.

Be sure to check out his  for more of his heavenly designs. You can even have with him if you want to brush up on your penmanship skills.

Write On

If you weren’t already inspired by Michelangelo’s shopping list, we hope that these 7 other examples of beautiful shopping lists will encourage you to make your own masterpieces.