The Equitability of Full-Price Policies for Senior Citizens

Authors

  • John L. Crompton

Keywords:

senior citizens, pricing

Abstract

The rationale for offering leisure services to senior citizens at reduced prices rests on the assumption that senior citizens are a low-income sector ofthe population and cannot afford to pay regular prices. The data presented in this paper, however, demonstrate that at this time senior citizens on the average are no worse off than the rest of the population. The United States still has a poverty problem, but it is indigenous across all age groups and is not concentrated among senior citizens. Thus, it is unfair to the non-elderly to offer price discounts to the elderly. Since senior citizens constitute one of the fastest-growing target markets in the country, continuing to give them indiscriminate price discounts will inflict an increasing and inequitable burden of subsidy on all other citizens.

The data presented in this article are national averages. The situation in a particular jurisdiction may be different. It is important that a department review the census data in its jurisdiction to determine the economic status of seniors before taking action.

Published

1984-01-04

Issue

Section

Regular Papers