シニア消費 日本経済を牽引する団塊世代

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Oct. 9, 2012)
Baby boomers' consumption could be driving force for economy
シニア消費　日本経済を牽引する団塊世代（10月8日付・読売社説）

Consumption by elderly people has been picking up recently.
　高齢者層の消費が活発だ。

We hope their purchasing power will give the nation's economy a shot in the arm.
　この勢いを経済の活性化につなげたい。

Annual consumption by elderly people--mainly those aged 60 and older, including postwar baby boomers--topped 100 trillion yen for the first time in 2011. It accounted for 40 percent of domestic consumption.
　団塊世代など６０歳以上を中心としたシニア層の消費は、２０１１年に初めて１００兆円を超え、国内消費の４割を占めた。

Monthly consumption expenditure per household whose head is aged 65 to 69 has been on an upward trend. The growth rate of expenditure for this age group is above the average for all demographics.
　６５～６９歳の１世帯当たりの月間消費支出も増加基調で、伸び率は全世代平均を上回っている。

After retiring, elderly people tend to withdraw savings they squirreled away while they were working to spend on products they need or want. In economics, this is known as the "life-cycle hypothesis" (LCH).
　シニア層は、現役時代の貯蓄を引退後に取り崩して消費に回す傾向がある。経済学では「ライフサイクル仮説」として知られる。

In addition to this special characteristic, many baby boomers, who are happy to spend their money and have led their generation, started turning 65 this year. The baby boomers have apparently been adding momentum to unconventional patterns of consumption.
　そうした特性だけでなく、消費意欲が旺盛で時代をリードしてきた団塊世代が６５歳を迎え、従来のパターンとは違う消費行動に弾みがついているのだろう。

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Elderly population growing

The proportion of people 65 and older has reached 24 percent of the population. This figure is expected to top 30 percent in 2030. It is important to maintain the consumption trend of senior citizens as an engine supporting the economy.
　人口に占める６５歳以上の割合は２４％に達し、３０年には３０％を超える見込みだ。景気を支えるエンジン役として、シニア消費を持続させることが重要と言える。

Already business activities targeting seniors with time and money on their hands, such as supermarkets that open early in the morning and around-the-world cruises, have become popular.
　すでに、時間と経済にゆとりを持つ高齢者を狙ったスーパーの早朝開店や世界一周クルーズなどが人気を集めている。

However, many companies seem unable to shake off their traditional mindsets. Today's senior citizens are not all modest old folks. They are very active and quite a few are willing to splash out for things they feel are significant, even if they usually closely watch their pennies in everyday life.
　しかし、多くの企業は従来の発想から抜け出せていないのではないか。今のシニア層は、控えめな高齢者に限らない。活動的で、日常の支出は抑えても、自分が有意義と感じるこだわりの消費には出費を惜しまぬ人が少なくない。

It is not only consumption of tangible objects that is thriving, but also courses at culture schools and music schools, such as piano lessons. This suggests elderly people value spending time or having experiences that provide psychological satisfaction.
　モノの消費だけでなく、カルチャースクールや、ピアノなど音楽教室の盛況が示すように、心の満足を得る時間や体験を大切にする傾向がうかがえる。

They are enthusiastic about staying healthy and favor items that help slow the aging process, which has been a boon for sports clubs and cosmetics that keep them looking younger.
　健康の維持やアンチエイジングへの関心が高く、スポーツクラブや若々しさを保つ化粧品などの人気も高まっている。

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Think outside the box

Potential money-spinners can be found in areas that many businesspeople assume would appeal more to young people. For instance, many elderly men are interested in sports cars. Many are accustomed to using personal computers and smartphones. The Internet is a familiar part of their daily life. They could contribute to the expansion of e-commerce.
　若者向けと考えがちな分野にも商機は広がる。スポーツカーに関心を持つシニア男性は多い。パソコンやスマートフォン（高機能携帯電話）の扱いに慣れ、インターネットは身近な存在だ。電子商取引の拡大にも貢献しよう。

We hope every corporation will sniff out the needs of elderly people and use their wisdom to develop or provide innovative products and services as well as cultivate new markets.
　各企業は、こうしたシニア層のニーズを掘り起こし、斬新な商品やサービスの提供、新市場の開拓に知恵を絞ってもらいたい。

When baby boomers turned 60 in 2007 through 2009, consumption did not pick up as much as expected. Factors behind this included growing concern over whether these baby boomers could keep working until they reached 65, and sluggish stock prices after the so-called Lehman shock.
　団塊世代が６０歳に達した０７～０９年は、期待されたほどには消費が盛り上がらなかった。リーマン・ショック後の株価低迷に加え、６５歳までの雇用確保への懸念が広がったことが要因とみられる。

The government must help erase elderly people's worries for the future by, for instance, implementing policies that will ensure social security systems can be stably maintained.
　社会保障制度を安定的に維持するなど、将来の不安を解消する政策の後押しも必要だ。

If the willingness to spend among the elderly encourages greater consumption among working generations, the Japanese economy would undoubtedly have a bonanza.
　シニア消費が牽引(けんいん)し、現役世代の消費も活発になれば、日本経済に好影響を及ぼすに違いない。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Oct. 8, 2012)
（2012年10月8日01時27分  読売新聞）