Copley News Service: Spending power

Old people spend more money. And people are getting older. These are things I think we all 'know', but did you know:

Two-thirds of online buyers are older than 40, a National Retail Federation survey indicates.

With 7 million people 50 and older now online (about a quarter of the total U.S. population that's 50 and over) older users are challenging their younger counterparts on the Net, according to Jupiter Research, a New York-based firm that focuses on Internet commerce.

When older Americans go online, they buy. Almost 80 percent of computer owners older than 50 have made a purchase on the Internet, says AgeLight, a consulting firm in Clyde Hill, Wash.

While most older Internet users say they go online to e-mail family members, the senior group is logging on for longer periods of time, according to a recent SeniorNet survey. It showed 70 percent of computer users 50 and older are online for 20 hours a week or more.

The article also covers some great information on what seniors are buying in general and what markets are already catering to them well. As their population grows in the online space, it'll be interesting to see if and how they're targeted…