February 2026

Ever notice when you are made aware of something, say a new car model, a word, or a brand, you suddenly see it everywhere? After recently reading, The Longevity Economy, by Joseph Coughlin who runs the MIT AgeLab, I can’t help but see how many ways businesses and municipalities overlook older consumers, even at their own detriment.

We have all seen the commercials. Seniors grinning over their reverse mortgages or struggling with smart phones. It's the same tired script: seniors as helpless and out of touch. For businesses, their dismissive approach to seniors is a big, missed opportunity. The 50-plus cohort, the ones being marketed walk-in tubs and large-button phones, are the largest economic force in the country, controlling 70 percent of America’s disposable income. Baby boomers, now in their 60s and 70s, are the wealthiest generation in history.

But companies and city planners are so focused on millennials and Gen Z; they're ignoring the demographic that is actually buying things and wanting to use local amenities. Joseph Coughlin of MIT has spent years documenting how businesses are mishandling this opportunity. In his book, he points out that companies recognize older adults have money, but they can't seem to shake their outdated assumptions about what these people want.

At Next, I see active, engaged members every day who defy the outdated senior stereotype. We lose one of our front desk volunteers every couple of months to an extended exclusive trip to the arctic, the Galapagos or the like. Other members have entered athletic competitions, started a new business, or found a significant other on a dating app.

No matter how healthy and active seniors see themselves, companies haven’t made the shift. Try to navigate a website with tiny gray text or find stylish clothes, read a menu in a dimly lit restaurant, or even more obvious, try grabbing arthritis medicine, stocked on the top shelf, out of reach.

This isn't just a business problem either; it is also a civic one. Municipalities design for young families and largely ignore the needs of their fastest-growing demographic. You’d be hard pressed to find a city council that's planned its public spaces for people who, while out exploring their community, might need a senior friendly bench every few blocks, or those who want to have lunch in the park only to find wobbly tables and chairs.

And political consultants overlook older voters who actually show up and vote in massive numbers. People over 50 aren't just an interest group; they're often the majority of participants in local democracy. In Birmingham, about 72 percent of voters are over 50 in any given election.

It is ironic. We are witnessing a demographic revolution; 10,000 Baby Boomers have been retiring every day since 2011 but still seem trapped in 1985. Companies, municipalities and organizations that figure this out will thrive. They will be the cities people want to live and work in, and the businesses that are frequented by reliable patrons.

The businesses and entities, whether deliberately or unknowingly, that cling to outdated narratives about needy, declining seniors, will find themselves ignored by the very people with the money and the influence that make a difference.

Cris Braun is Executive Director of Birmingham Next