The CDU’s Senior’s Union has sharply criticized the price advantages that are only granted to consumers through apps, a privilege that only single-store retailers offer. It should not be the case that older people are punished at the supermarket checkout for their non-digital lifestyle, said Helge Benda, the acting chairman of the Senior’s Union, to the newspapers of the Funke Media Group (Saturday editions).
“The price advantages that can only be accessed through apps exacerbate the digital divide in our society. Seniors who don’t use a smartphone often end up paying more for the same products in the end – that’s not acceptable” Benda added.
He also pointed out that many older people have been shopping at single stores for decades – without having to deal with the apps on smartphones. “Now, they’re suddenly forced to use digital technologies just to avoid being disadvantaged. That’s not modern consumer friendliness, but simply a new form of exclusion, yes, of discrimination” he explained further. At the same time, the acting head of the Senior’s Union demanded that discounts should also be accessible without apps, for example, through printed coupons, classic customer cards, or a simple price adjustment for all.