While millennials in their late 20s and early 30s have been the key purchasers on e-commerce, an industry survey found Thursday that consumers in their 50s and 60s are rising as a new major consumer group, as they have become more familiar with shopping online.

According to e-commerce platform Auction, consumers in their 50s and 60s recorded a 135 percent increase in their purchase amounts in the past five years. They made up 27 percent of consumers ranging from teenagers to those in their 60s and above.

In particular, the total purchase amount made by those in their 60s and above went up by 171 percent over the past five years, the survey showed. 

By product category, elderly consumers focused on purchasing travel tickets and luxury goods. Sales of flight tickets on Auction went up by 114 times in five years, while that of imported luxury goods have doubled since 2014 among consumers in their 50s and 60s.

“The trend shows that a greater number of older consumers are shopping online with convenience, getting used to not having to travel to offline stores to buy products. The number will only increase with the development of mobile shopping apps,” said an industry insider. 

(ddd@heraldcorp.com)