Southeast Asia Information Port News (www.dnyxxg.com) – Exoskeleton robots, trolleys, anti-slip floor tile coatings, knee braces… Stepping into the Shanghai Silver-Haired Store in Putuo District, a 1200-square-meter space displays over a hundred kinds of "silver-haired products." In just one month since its opening, the store has achieved a cumulative sales volume of 505,000 yuan, with a projected total sales of 1.49 million yuan.
The Shanghai Silver-Haired Store is not only Shanghai's first offline retail space centered on the elderly, but also the "Shanghai Senior Expo Innovation Product Experience Hall." It transforms exhibits from the Shanghai International Senior Care, Assistive Devices and Rehabilitation Medicine Expo into regularly operating products, creating a "new space" for the display and experience of silver-haired products.
"The birth of our store stems from real needs," said Ma Zhiwen, the store's manager, in an interview with China News Network. Every June, Shanghai hosts the Shanghai Senior Expo. After the expo ends, many elderly people cannot find a place to buy their desired products and have called for extending the expo period or establishing permanent retail outlets.
Aunt Wang, who lives near the Silver-Haired Store, has now made shopping there a daily habit. “This place is like a ‘trouble-solving general store’ for us seniors,” she said with a smile. Before, when she needed assistive devices or specific clothing, she never knew where to buy them, and online shopping didn't allow for trying them on. “Now, I can touch everything here and ask questions clearly. I love coming here whenever I have free time to browse the new products and learn something from the staff.”
Shanghai is one of the cities in China that entered the aging population stage relatively early. Data shows that as of the end of 2024, among Shanghai's registered residents, those aged 60 and above numbered 5.7762 million, accounting for 37.6% of the total population. This large and continuously growing elderly population has increasingly diverse and specialized needs, and the traditional, fragmented, and singular sales model for elderly products is struggling to keep up with this change.
Zhou Haiwang, deputy director of the Institute of Urban and Population Development at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, stated that permanent senior citizen stores are a good exploration. While some shopping malls have opened sections for elderly products in the past, specialized, large-scale, and professional senior citizen stores are still lacking. These stores not only provide customers with a place to experience products but can also act as “translators” connecting supply and demand.
“The main consumers of the silver economy are the elderly, but the industry doesn’t clearly understand their true needs,” Ma Zhiwen explained. She cited the example of smart glasses designers who often focus on high-tech features but neglect common vision problems among the elderly, such as presbyopia and cataracts, making lens fit a major pain point. Stores can collect feedback from the elderly on their actual usage, compile it into product development plans, and then provide feedback to manufacturers.
The silver economy is not only a functional economy but also an “aesthetics economy.” “Many people feel that elderly products are not aesthetically pleasing enough and that using them is embarrassing,” Ma Zhiwen stated frankly. The store specifically selects aesthetically pleasing products, such as stylish canes with leather storage bags and modern items like black-themed bathroom fixtures suitable for the elderly. “The elderly also have the right to pursue aesthetics. When the appearance of items is improved, the elderly feel less burdened when using them.”
Beyond providing professional services, the silver-themed store also creates a community atmosphere of emotional connection. In one corner of the store, a “wish wall” is covered with colorful sticky notes, ranging from “needing lightweight down pants” to “hoping for a talking robot.” Behind these simple wishes lie real life needs. Ma Zhiwen stated that every note is carefully considered, and many comments have already inspired new product selections. The store also plans to launch a "Little Assistive Device Consultant" parent-child course, allowing children to pass on safety knowledge to their grandparents in a fun way; and will regularly hold experiential activities such as "Wheelchair Driving School" and "Exoskeleton Walking" to make life more enjoyable for seniors.
The exploration of silver-haired stores may have just begun. Zhou Haiwang stated that when the real needs of the elderly are carefully "translated" and industry supply is precisely guided, the silver economy can break through the narrow scope of "elderly products" and truly integrate into the fabric of urban life. He predicts that in the future, there will be more and more such stores, developing towards branding, specialization, and chain operations. (End)
