Grocery shopping is being made easier for the elderly in Austria with the opening of a chain of supermarkets specially designed for pensioners.
Aktiv Markt stores include wider aisles for walking frames and electric wheelchairs, free blood-pressure checks and magnifying glasses to help the short-sighted read small print.
Shop staff are aged over 50 because bosses at parent Adeg Supermarkets decided older employees would be more compatible with the stores' aim.
Adeg quality control inspector Horst Hanzan said he believed it was about time older people - who have plenty of purchasing power - were given recognition.
He added: 'One of the things our customers like best about the stores is the friendly faces they see behind the counter. Older employees tend to be much friendlier and more patient than younger workers, which is necessary if you are going to make the shopping experience pleasant for older members of the community.'
Two stores have recently been converted from the standard supermarket format, in Salzburg and, last month, in Vienna. Hanzan said they were already a success, with early reports of a 20 per cent rise in takings.
Further stores are planned once the first tranche has been fully tested.
'Although the stores are designed for older people, they are not exclusively for pensioners. Even younger people, who like the bright lighting and relaxed atmosphere, have started to shop here,' he said.
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