Seniors Making Deals To Get Price Cuts

Ryanne Persinger |

Special to the NNPA from the Charlotte Post

Quillie Smith doesnt look for discounts, but if they are offered he will use them.

Seniors need discounts because they have paid their dues in life, Smith, 72, said. They need discounts.

Quillie Smith is the owner of People's Cleaners on Beatties Ford Road. He said whenever given the opportunity, he takes advantage of senior discounts.

Smith, the owner of Peoples Cleaners on Beatties Ford Road, doesnt offer specific specials to seniors, but does offer a price of 10 garments for $30. Most cleaners give senior citizens a day of the week for discounts, but I give it to them every day of the week, he said.

More businesses are recognizing seniors and extending reduced prices.

Supermarket chain Harris-Teeter offers a five percent discount to people age 60 and older on Thursdays. Dennys has a senior citizen menu available 24 hours a day for ages 55-plus. Belk offers 15 percent off on the first Tuesday of every month to shoppers 55 and older and several area museums offer senior discounts as well.

The lifespan of a senior is longer than what it was 20 or 30 years ago, said David Smidt, president of seniordiscounts.com, based in Albuquerque, N.M. Nowadays people are living well into their 70s and 80s.

Seniordiscounts.com is an online directory of U.S. businesses that offer discounts to seniors. Smidt said it attracts between 60,000 and 100,000 visitors a month nationwide. I think seniors are looking for discounts on everyday goods like restaurants and movies, Smidt said. They have to stretch their dollars a lot further to help sustain their lifestyle as they get older.

Smidt says few businesses advertise special rates for seniors, but inquiring about them is always a good way to find out. Seniors need to ask for the discount, Smidt said. They wont tell you or advertise it. Its hard to find special prices on some things.

Smidts website offers a wide range of discounts from retail providers to travel companies and auto maintenance. The site is 10 years old and age requirements can vary on discounts. Our website continues to grow. Im always shocked, Smidt said. I think (businesses) are really trying to track that market. They want the business.

North Carolina was the No. 3 destination for retirees, behind Florida and Arizona, according to the National Active Retirement Association.

In the 2000 U.S. Census, the latest figures available, at least 35 million Americans are at least 65 and 24 million are ages 55-64.

Dan Owens, president of the Charlotte based NARA, an organization for businesses to learn more about how to serve older adults, said Charlotte does not advertise itself as a great city for retirees. However, older people are moving here because it has been a major employment center and adult children bring their parents here.

(Children) have exposed Charlotte to their parents and when they come to visit they just love it and want to stay here, Owens said. Its a central location with the airport and having access to the mountains and the beach. Its a pretty moderate place of living.

Trena Palmer, executive director of four Charlotte-Mecklenburg Senior Centers, says seniors often share which businesses provide discounts. I often hear things like my cleaners offers a discount....it spreads like wildfire, Palmer said. For two years (seniors) have had no increases in their Social Security check but essentials have gone up a lot and so have their prescription plans and the taxes.

Palmer said seniors often talk about the cost of the things they buy so much more than they did even two years ago. Seniors tend to drive older cars and live in older homes, Palmer said. The price is just killing them.

Owens agrees. He says that is the main reason seniors are on the lookout for price reductions.

Its like a TV commercial thats run for 10 years, Owens said. Older people in my opinion have been programmed to think for a discount. Owens added that persons over 50 who have money arent concerned about discounts, but those who dont are. Historically organizations like (Association for the Advancement of Retired Persons) has trained people to look for discounts, Owens said. When you join the AARP they advertise a collection of discounts.

The AARP is a non-profit, bipartisan group that helps people age 50 and older to improve the quality of lives.

Smith said he cant offer deep discounts because he has to still stay in business and pay for overhead. But he does what he can. In these days and times you have to offer some type of discount, he added.

For more information visit, Senior Discounts at www.seniordiscounts.com.

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