Title Differences in Grocery Shopping Travel Behaviors Among Young-old and their Online Grocery Shopping Patterns
Authors 박하나(Park, Hana) ; 양서인(Yang, Seo In) ; 장유진(Jang Eujin) ; 박소현(Park, Sohyun)
DOI https://doi.org/10.5659/JAIK.2026.42.1.219
Page pp.219-230
ISSN 2733-6247
Keywords Young-old; Online grocery shopping; Walking mobility; Food environment; Super-aged society; Aging in Place (AIP)
Abstract South Korea is nearing a super-aged society, and adults in their 60s now tend to have greater digital familiarity and more active lifestyles than older cohorts. This study examines how online grocery shopping relates to grocery shopping travel and walking behavior among adults in their 60s living in Mangwon-dong, Seoul, a residential neighborhood characterized by mixed housing types. Data were collected through 7-day food-related travel diaries and surveys from 40 participants, evenly divided between online grocery shoppers and non-shoppers. The study set two hypotheses: first, that online shoppers would make fewer grocery shopping trips, and second, that online shoppers would walk less frequently than non-shoppers. Mann-Whitney U tests were used to compare weekly trip frequencies between groups. The results did not support either hypothesis. Instead, online shoppers recorded more grocery shopping trips, with a median of 4.0 trips/week compared to 2.5 trips/week among non-shoppers. They also reported more walking trips, with a median of 3.0 trips/week compared to 0.5 trips/week among non-shoppers. Both differences were statistically significant (p<0.05). These outcomes indicate that online shopping may complement rather than replace offline activities. This underscores the importance of rethinking how digital services influence activity patterns among older adults and how neighborhood environments can support these patterns. The study offers preliminary insights for food environment planning and neighborhood design that promote healthy aging in an increasingly aged urban society.