Perceptions of E-commerce and accessibility: how digitally literate older people view benefits and barriers

The expansion of e-commerce and the consequent spatial changes raise questions about how accessibility and liveability for older people is considered in increasingly ageing societies. The aim of this article is to enhance the understanding of how digitally literate older people perceive e-commerce as a tool to accommodate their needs. The study therefore poses the question: How do digitally literate older people perceive e-commerce, and its benefits compared to the use and accessibility of traditional brick-and-mortar shopping? This study utilizes semi-structured in-depth telephone interviews with digitally literate people over the age of 65 and leverages the Triple Access System to gain insights into the impact of digitalization and e-commerce on accessibility in relation to physical accessibility. The results show that most participants highly valued their physical access despite having a positive attitude toward digitalization. Even though they were digitally literate, several participants were worried that they would be left behind as digitalization develops further. While digital tools in many cases seem to be able to replace local access to goods, the interviews show that other values in the dimension of shopping locally remain irreplaceable. This observation indicates a risk of social isolation and less accessibility for older people if physical access is not safeguarded.