The Dutch population is ageing and this will have an impact on non-food retailers, reports broadcaster NOS.

According to a report published by research bureau Q&A, the number of over 65s will go up from 18% to 24% in 2030. This group simply doesn’t buy as much, the researchers say. ‘Moreover, they most likely already own certain products and don’t tend to replace them that quickly,’ Q&A research director John Terra said.

Shops selling children’s clothing, multimedia and entertainment, toys, sports articles, shoes and articles for the home will be hardest hit. But some retail outlets, such as opticians and bookshops will see their profits rise.

Statistics office CBS expects the population to grow by 950,000 by 2030, concentrated in big and medium-sized cities. Shopkeepers in smaller towns, especially in the provinces of Zeeland, north-east Groningen, Drenthe and Twente will have to come up with a different strategy.

‘Big chains will have to adapt to an elderly clientele in some areas. Individual shopkeepers would do well to focus completely on the 25 to 44-year-olds,’ Terra told NOS. ‘They are at the beginning of their careers, they buy a home and need stuff to put in it.’