Baby Boomers are the largest age cohort in history, numbering some 78 million. They were born from 1946 to 1964, so they cover a wide age span, from 46 to 64 this year.
“To find products for Boomers,” said Dr. Furlong, “you need to look for solutions that are practical, well-designed, innovative and ageless. In fact, we found that these types of products are great gifts for anyone as they move through life – while I was thinking of Boomers as I set up the marketplace, I found that they really are just gifts for grown-ups.”
The products on Mary's Marketplace have been selected by Mary Furlong for their value. “I am constantly on the lookout for great products at great prices,” she said. “We are launching the marketplace with some of my favorites and we'll be adding to it constantly.”
Products range from cushy chairs to challenging brain exercises; from luxuriating bath spa equipment to mini-bike exercise machines; and from cell phone services without a long term contract to noise cancelling headphones without a big price tag. The common thread across hundreds of products is great design and practical comfort to make life easier and more enjoyable.
The site recognizes that Boomers make up most of the country's 44 million caregivers. So, there are dozens of products incorporating assistive technology that can be life-changing. These products help people keep doing the things they love – whether it's reading, going to concerts, watching TV, participating in conversations, cooking, working or doing crafts. Assistive products include various magnifying readers, binocular glasses, personal, telephone and TV amplifiers, balanced spectrum lights and other gizmos and gadgets that make life easier.
“Boomers are the Sputnik generation,” Dr. Furlong says. “So we have a lot of faith in technology and innovation, but we're also seekers looking for ways to make life simpler and richer. Our plan is to make it easy to shop online for products that appeal to Boomers and to all the other grown-ups that are important to them.”
Mary Furlong & Associates is a team of business innovators in the fields of marketing, editorial, business, online content and community focusing on the 40+ market. Furlong, a Dean's Executive Professor of Entrepreneurship at Santa Clara University's Leavey School of Business, previously founded SeniorNet and ThirdAge Media. Her latest book is “Turning Silver into Gold: How to Profit in the New Boomer Marketplace.” For more information, please visit http://www.maryfurlong.com.
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