Senior Citizens were the centre of attention in Asda recently as the store hosted a Christmas Shopping night for older people from around the County.
Asda is one the first major supermarkets in Northern Ireland to directly respond to findings from the latest research by the Consumer Council by publicly declaring its commitment to senior shoppers.

The campaign, 'Silver Service: Are Supermarkets Meeting the Needs of Older Shoppers?', which was conducted in by The Consumer Council in partnership with Age Concern, gave older people the chance to open up about their shopping experiences and highlight the issues which cause them most difficulties and concerns.

In addition to working in full co-operation with the Consumer Council and facilitating the research, Asda has taken on board all the findings and has publicly committed to continue to do all it can to ensure shopping for food is a positive and rewarding experience for all senior shoppers.

To further promote this important message, each store will display a plaque in its main foyer to ensure local customers are aware of the extent of its commitment.

Issues such as access to supermarkets, excessive packaging, high level shelves, and a lack of seating were identified by the older generation as barriers to shopping.

"We value each and every one of our customers," said Mark Pollard, Asda's regional operations manager for Northern Ireland, "but we also recognise there are always groups within society who will have needs and concerns which can require more attention at times.

"It's great to be involved in this campaign from the outset and, in signing up to it, we're putting our older communities on the centre stage. We're also demonstrating, in a very public way, how we identify with their concerns, how much we value their business, and how we aim to help them get the most from the time they spend in Asda."