Urban population ageing has significant implications for city centres catering for an increasing number of older consumers. To guide world cities on taking action in response to population ageing, the World Health Organization (WHO) has addressed the universal features of the age-friendly city. This study applies the WHO guideline to the context of shopping. With an emphasis on older consumers, the perceptions of the city centre as a physical and social shopping environment are studied. Using a qualitative content analysis, older consumers’ perceptions (focus-group participants aged 64–94) are analysed based on the age-friendly city features. The perceptions are compared with those of younger consumers (qualitative-survey respondents aged 21–41). The study confirms the significance of older city shoppers, and suggests their needs and wants should be taken into account in urban development projects. The older consumers differ from younger consumers in their city-shopping behaviour and perceptions in many respects. The age groups highlighted the same themes, but mainly with dissimilar content. This indicates that measures to develop a city centre friendlier to older consumers also benefit their younger counterparts, but for different reasons. It is necessary to understand this disparity to create a city-centre shopping environment that is friendly for different ages. The study offers new perspectives on responding to the challenges that consumer ageing poses to Western cities.

城市人口老龄化对于满足越来越多的老龄消费者需求的城市中心具有重要意义。为了指导世界城市采取行动应对人口老龄化问题，世界卫生组织（世卫组织）已着手探讨对年龄友好的城市的普遍特征。这项研究将WHO指南应用于购物环境。着重于年长的消费者，研究了对市中心作为实体和社交购物环境的看法。使用定性内容分析，基于对年龄友好的城市特征，分析了老年消费者的看法（64-94岁的焦点小组参与者）。将这些看法与年轻消费者（21-41岁的定性调查受访者）的看法进行比较。该研究证实了老年城市购物者的重要性，并建议在城市发展项目中应考虑他们的需求。在许多方面，老年消费者与年轻消费者的城市购物行为和看法不同。年龄段突出显示相同的主题，但主要内容不同。这表明，建立一个对年长消费者更友好的城市中心的措施也使年幼的消费者受益，但这是出于不同的原因。有必要了解这种差异，以创建适合不同年龄段的城市中心购物环境。该研究为应对消费者老龄化给西方城市带来的挑战提供了新的观点。年龄段突出显示相同的主题，但主要内容不同。这表明，建立一个对年长消费者更友好的城市中心的措施也使年幼的消费者受益，但这是出于不同的原因。有必要了解这种差异，以创建适合不同年龄段的城市中心购物环境。该研究为应对消费者老龄化给西方城市带来的挑战提供了新的观点。年龄段突出显示相同的主题，但主要内容不同。这表明，建立一个对年长消费者更友好的城市中心的措施也使年幼的消费者受益，但这是出于不同的原因。有必要了解这种差异，以创建适合不同年龄段的城市中心购物环境。该研究为应对消费者老龄化给西方城市带来的挑战提供了新的观点。