Seniors, a new population to house

By Schilling Communication - PR Agency Published on Wednesday, March 3, 2010 at 01:00

Photo credits : HAGER

Summary for decision-makers

On January 19, Hager organized a roundtable discussion in Obernai on "Seniors: Tomorrow's Housing Opportunities," in collaboration with the Bas-Rhin General Council and UIBR, bringing together nearly 70 experts and executives. This was an opportunity to analyze the aging population in Bas-Rhin, where more than 71.000 people are over 75, a trend that illustrates the growing need to adapt market offerings, particularly in the housing sector. Seniors, often homeowners, constitute a valuable market segment, with distinct consumer behaviors assessed by Health and Age in three categories, ranging from "boomer-bohemians" to "fragile" seniors.

The discussions highlighted the need for innovation to improve housing accessibility and security, enabling seniors to remain in their homes as long as possible. Hager is positioning itself as a key player in this transformation, developing tailored solutions such as security devices and user-friendly interfaces for this population. Thanks to an innovation-based strategy, Hager continues its expansion in the global market, generating revenue of €1,3 billion, with a proven commitment to the well-being of seniors.

With an aging population, builders and interior design professionals must adapt and address new constraints, particularly regarding security. To address this highly topical issue, Hager participated in and hosted a roundtable discussion in mid-January, which included both institutional and professional representatives.

Batipôle Editorial

Hager innovates to help seniors stay at home

Attentive to societal issues, Hager hosts a round table on the opportunities of senior housing

"Seniors: tomorrow's housing opportunities": this was the key theme of the round table organized at Hager in Obernai on January 19 with testimonies from managers and experts from the Bas-Rhin General Council, the Hager Group, Health and Age, Nouvelles Maisons d'Alsace,
Diroy, Burger Sa and Cuisines Schmidt. This event, co-organized by the Bas-Rhin General Council (through ADIRA) and the Home Improvement Mission (UIBR), brought together nearly 70 participants.
The observation is striking: in Bas-Rhin, more than 71.000 people are over 75 years old and this population will double in 2020. This phenomenon of population aging, encountered in France as in most other European countries, is explained both by the decline in the birth rate and by the increase in life expectancy.

Seniors: an opportunity for development
This explosion in the number of seniors represents a tremendous market opportunity for companies that can adapt to this specific demand, particularly those operating in the furniture, security, and home equipment sectors to further extend the period of remaining at home. Indeed, seniors, who are more often owners of their primary residence (70% of them compared to just over 50% in all other age groups), have financial ease with an income equal to that of younger households, who are more frequently tenants. Furniture, household equipment, and routine home maintenance are preferred consumption items for those over 65. According to Health and Age, "there are three categories of
seniors: the "bohemian boomers" who have the greatest purchasing power and are looking for trendy but secure products, the "traditional" seniors who are attracted to natural, authentic products, and finally, the "fragile" seniors who need secure solutions.

Staying at home as long as possible: a unanimous desire for the elderly
Dependency management issues will become more widespread: it is about promoting the longevity of residential pathways to allow elderly people to remain in their homes, by integrating devices into homes that promote enhanced security and total accessibility. Developing housing accessibility is a major area of research for Hager: improvements to existing products to increase user comfort, innovations allowing people to extend their lives at home. In this respect, Hager is working in particular on the security of property and people through light baseboards, lighting in living and circulation areas, mobile intercoms, etc. For seniors, the control interfaces are adapted: tactile, simple, from
remote controls... The participants in the round table welcomed the initiative of such a meeting which was able to provide feedback to the industrialists present.

Hager develops and markets solutions, along with a wide range of services, for the secure and intelligent distribution of electrical energy in residential and commercial applications. For over 50 years, the company has based its development on innovation and close ties with its business partners. This successful strategy has enabled Hager to become a leading global player in electrical installation today, with a turnover exceeding €1 billion and nearly 1,3 employees worldwide, including 10.000 in France.