The 2000 census figures show some 35 million Americans are at least 65 and another 24 million are 55 to 64. Pictures of people in those age brackets are increasingly common in the promotional brochures put out by travel services, airlines and other businesses. Seniors are more active and healthier all the time. In the seven years since Ames adopted its senior discounts, Tuesday has overtaken Saturday as the busiest shopping day of the week for the chain. Ames opens early on Tuesdays and puts out free coffee and cookies for the stampede of gray-haired patrons.
Extra employees handle the volume of customers.
If you do more business, even if you take 10 percent off, you're still making what you should be making. Such discounts are less common at more upscale retailers. On the other hand, it has been common for many fast-food operations, including Taco Bell, to offer seniors a savings on coffee or other beverages. But in April many Taco Bell outlets also began offering a 10 percent savings on all its food to those 55 or older. Taco Bell is definitely not the kind of place that the average senior would think would cater to them, but Taco Bell has had the wherewithal and smarts to figure out there are probably a lot of seniors that would like what their menu is offering.