Age shapes consumer behaviour

In France, 47% of respondents say they have already given up something they wanted to do because of age-related judgement. The finding comes from the second edition of the Age and Society Observatory, conducted by Ipsos BVA for Laboratoires Expanscience and its íana brand among 10,000 Europeans across eight countries. Perceptions of ageing vary significantly from one country to another: in France, people consider themselves “old” from the age of 50, compared with 60 in Italy and Spain. At the same time, 55% of Europeans say they start worrying about ageing from the age of 35. Age-related expectations also directly affect appearance: among respondents over 45, 52% say they have already been told to stop wearing clothes considered “too young” for them, while 45% have been told to hide their grey hair. Based on these findings, Expanscience is promoting the concept of ʺre-agingʺ, presented as a way of breaking free from age-related expectations and developing a more positive relationship with one’s body, in contrast with an exclusively anti-ageing approach.