McCarthy & Stone has conducted a study exploring how retirement is evolving and individuals are moving away from traditional retirement habits. More than 2,500 retirees from across the UK participated in the retirement housebuilder’s “The Colour Report”, which looks at the differing opinions of three retirement age demographics: 65-70, 70-74 and 75+. The report highlights that the older generations shop in the same shops as their grandchildren, (21% at Primark, 14% at H&M and TopShop), listen to the same music (35% listen to pop music, a quarter to rock music and 15% to R&B), and watch the same TV channels (47% watch BBC Three and 27% E4, while almost 1 in 20 had a TV subscription service). What’s more, pensioners don’t believe old age starts until their mid to late 70s, feel up to 20 years younger than their biological age, and consider living life to the full more important than leaving an inheritance for their children. Their list of things to tick off over the next few years included going on a round-the-world trip (19%), writing a book (12%), learning to dance (6%) and getting a degree (4%). Almost half are divorced or separated and a number of those who do want to find love in later life are joining online dating agencies in the hope of meeting their perfect match. In fact, 24% of these aged 75+ said that they had been successful and met someone special. Kim Caldwell, from McCarthy & Stone, said: “We commissioned The Colour Report to bust the myths around retirement and to highlight the shifting attitudes and growing independence of today’s retirees. We want to encourage society to move away from stereotypical views about chronological age. “Retirees are starting to rewrite the definition of growing old. They experienced the birth of the information age and at every life stage have fought to challenge the norm; it’s futile to expect them to change now just because they’re classed as pensioners.”
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