Senior consumers’ dining-out behaviors: the roles of physical, psychological and economic health

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of three types of perceived healthiness (physical, psychological and economic health) on restaurant consumption activities among senior consumers. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 325 restaurant customers in the USA through a Web-based survey conducted by an online marketing research firm. Following previous studies’ categorization of senior consumers, this study distinguished between “senior consumers” (age 60 or older) and “younger consumers” (age 39 or younger) to better compare different age-related behaviors. A series of two-way ANOVA was conducted for dining-out frequency and the number of choice sets. Findings The results revealed that senior diners’ perceptions of healthiness are critical in determining senior consumers’ restaurant behaviors, such as information processing and purchasing behaviors. The results provide evidence that seniors with a positive perception of their physical and psychological status seek a greater number of alternative restaurant choices, which is actively related to purchasing frequency. Practical implications The managerial implications indicate that restaurant marketers should avoid stereotypes and instead rely on more recent and accurate information regarding today’s senior consumers. Originality/value The position taken in this study recognizes the need to enhance the understanding of senior consumers’ patterns regarding their perceived physical, psychological and economic health. To the best of authors’ knowledge, this is the first attempt to investigate the impact of three types of health on seniors’ dining behaviors.