6 Ways Boomers Are Quietly Changing What Gets Sold

The Boomer generation isn’t just aging into a different stage of life—it has become such a large economic force that businesses are changing what they sell and how they sell it.

Tech Is Being Built Around Them

Adults 50+ spent an average of $756 on technology in 2025, and 41% planned another tech purchase in 2026. Smartphones, TVs, laptops and streaming services are major parts of that spending.

Homes Are Being Designed to Keep People There

AARP’s 2026 economic research points to growing demand for home modifications and accessibility upgrades as more people want to remain independent at home.

Travel Companies Are Chasing Their Spending

Adults 50+ expect to spend an average of $7,292 on travel in 2026. That’s up from $6,847 in 2025, with spending among 60–69-year-olds rising 11.6%.

Electronics Aren’t Just for Younger Buyers

Since 2018, spending on communications and electronics by households headed by adults 50+ has increased 62%. That makes older consumers a major market for devices designed around connection, entertainment and independence.

Businesses Are Designing for Longer Lives

The 50+ population generated $12.5 trillion in U.S. economic activity in 2024—43% of total GDP. That scale is changing the commercial opportunity around aging.

Even Everyday Services Are Adapting

From digital banking and shopping to health apps and smart-home technology, older adults are using an average of 14 digital services and 10 apps over a three-month period.

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