[INFOGRAPHIC] 59% OF Seniors Have Purchased Online in Last 3 Months

Senior e-commerce use is booming. Consider these statistics:

• 59% of online seniors have made an online purchase in the past three months
• Seniors, 50+, spend over $7 billion annually
• Adults 50+ account for 80% of all online luxury travel spending.

But why are seniors using the internet to shop?
Here's what our customers tell us at JRS Medical:

1. It's convenient. I can shop from home, anytime, day or night.
2. The prices are better than in local stores.
3. I get a wider selection of products to choose from.
4. It's shipped to my house quickly and for free.

Silver Surfers: Internet Usage Among Older Generations

The Internet isn’t just for tweens and young socialites. In fact, a large population of Internet users are 50 and older, utilizing the Web for social media, shopping and even education. Let’s take a look at why the stereotype of the not-so-tech-savvy Baby Boomer is more than faulty.

Stats and Facts

Senior Internet use (2000-2012) The number of adults 50+ who use the Internet has grown significantly in the past 12 years.

• Percentage of Twitter users over 50 - Almost 1 in 5
• Percentage of Americans 65+ who use the Internet - 53%
• Of that 53%, 70% use it on a typical day.
• Average amount of time Baby Boomers 47-65 spent on the Internet in 2012 - 27 hours per week
• Percentage of seniors (65+) who own a desktop computer - 48%
• Percentage of adults 50-64 who own a desktop computer - 63%

A Closer Look: Senior Social Media Use

Though the average age of the social media user is fairly young, a large percentage of social media profiles belong to adults 55 and over.

• Adults 55+ who engage in social networking to communicate - 27.4 million
• Online seniors who use social media - 1 in 3 (This is a big difference from 2009, where only 13% of online seniors were using social media.)
• Percentage of online seniors who have a Facebook account - 49%
• Percentage of Twitter users 50 and older - 18%

A Closer Look: Seniors Shopping Online

Maybe it’s because they have the most money of any age group, or maybe it’s because they like the convenience; whatever the reason, adults 50 and older constitute a majority of the online consumer population.

• Percentage of online seniors who have made an online purchase in the past three months - 59%
• Average annual amount spent online by adults aged 50+ - $7 billion
• Adults 50+ account for 80% of all online luxury travel spending.

SOURCE: http://www.accredited-online-college.org/internet-usage/