As stores stock shelves with youth-targeted products and malls lease to retailers such as Forever 21 Inc., China’s seniors are feeling left out.
seniors：年长者，老年人
According to a new report from global market research firm Mintel, only 8% of elderly Chinese consumers feel that marketers adequately target them with advertising and products.
The study, which surveyed 600 Chinese elderly in 10 cities and 3,000 online, said seniors are eager for more offerings geared to them, such as food, beverages and travel services.
eager for：渴望，迫切要 gear to：使适合，调整 beverages：饮料，酒水
The senior segment of society is increasingly critical in China, as the number of people aged 60 and above is expected to exceed 200 million this year, and increase by 10 million annually in the years to come, according to statistics from the China National Committee on Aging.
Yet the number of marketers targeting the elderly is still only a fraction of the multitude of companies aiming for the youth.
fraction：分数，部分，稍微
Marketing experts say most companies look for the biggest spending pool when rolling out their strategies for any country. In China, those tend to be younger consumers, age 21 to 45, said Kunal Sinha, chief knowledge officer at advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather China.
But many companies have underestimated the influential power of seniors in the Chinese household, said Mr. Sinha, noting that seniors will make up around 12% of the population by 2025. Now about 47% of children are cared for by grandparents, who make the bulk of household purchases, he said.
underestimated：低估，看清 the bulk of：大多数，大部分
Some marketers are beginning to figure that out, said Mr. Sinha. Last year, Volkswagen Group Import China launched an advertisement for its Beetle, featuring senior citizens trying out activities associated with youth: skateboarding, dancing at a rave, tagging a wall with spray paint.
“Companies may not realize how much power elders have in the family, but it shouldn’t be overlooked” said Mr. Sinha.
While Chinese companies have more products available for China’s seniors, such as cell phones with simpler functions and larger displays, some Western companies are rolling out products for the elderly Kimberly Clark Corp. KMB +0.56%, which makes Huggies diapers and paper towels, recently rolled out its Depend adult diapers in China. Private retirement facilities are also quickly expanding.
For an idea of what seniors may be looking for, Mr. Sinha notes that it’s important to look at their spending habits. Seniors aged 55 to 65 in China’s largest cities spend half their expenditures on food and only 7% on apparel, according to Ogilvy data, while those a decade younger allocate 38% of their spending to food and 13% to apparel.
expenditures：支出，开支 apparel：服装，衣服
According to the Mintel study, pharmaceuticals top the list of goods post-retirement consumers are buying, followed by small electrical appliances, household cleaning products, consumer electronics and toiletries.
pharmaceutical：药物，制药的 toiletry：化妆品
In addition, seniors are looking for financial services geared to their needs, said Matthew Crabbe, research director of Mintel’s Asia-Pacific division.
Yet seniors are also pretty open minded and willing to try out new products, he added. That’s backed up by some seniors who are game to sing Lady Gaga on TV, dance like Michael Jackson or even cross-dress.
back up：支持