Alibaba targeting China's aging population with new Taobao app for seniors
Alibaba is set to launch a new version of its online marketplace Taobao aimed at China’s growing population of seniors.
Alibaba will launch Taobao for seniors app soon
The new version of the app will feature a dedicated homepage which is personalised and customized for consumers aged over 60 years.
Alibaba is looking to better engage with China’s aging e-commerce savvy consumers, in a bid to make it easier for them to register an account and browse products. It also aims to provide an enhanced user experience with personalized recommendations and after-sales service.
The new channel development is being led by Jian Ding, who told Alizila, “We are crafting a new version of Taobao that is customized for senior consumers, catering to their unique habits and needs.
“Besides satisfying their online shopping demands, we want to create something that helps them strengthen relationships with the younger generation, bring them closer together.”
Alibaba has also begun a recruitment drive to hire two senior experience officers and is targeting people aged over 60, who are influential in their social circles and maintain good relationships with their children.
The move follows the release of new figures by China’s National Bureau of Statistics which revealed the number of Chinese people aged over 65 years soared to 158.21 million, or 11.4% of the population in 2017.
China’s aging population is rising rapidly with predictions more than one-third or 255 million people will be aged over 60 years by 2020.
According to Alibaba more than 30 million Taobao users are over 50, with over 75% aged in the 50-59 years range, and nearly 20% aged 60-69 years.