The trillion-dollar opportunity: Why age is commerce's most undervalued asset
October 14, 2025
by Dayna Winter
The business world's obsession with youth has created a blind spot—older entrepreneurs are thriving, older consumers are spending, and smart brands are taking notice.
Retirement? Martha Stewart didn’t get the memo. At 84, she’s reinventing herself—again. With Elm Biosciences, the self-made billionaire is adding another venture to her formidable empire.
She’s not alone. Halle Berry is building menopause care brand Respin while Pamela Anderson has entered the game with Sonsie. But women, both over 50, aren’t exceptions. They’re indicators of a changing tide.
A powerful demographic of entrepreneurs is emerging. Their age and experience are assets, not barriers, as they step in to serve an often ignored but highly lucrative consumer: a segment with multi‑trillion‑dollar spending power that increasingly shops online.
One in five* Shopify merchants over 55 launched their business in the past year. And accessible commerce and AI tools simplify the path, empowering founders of any age to find their market.
Older entrepreneurs are here to fill gaps in industries obsessed with youth. The over-50 demographic, often ignored as brands clamour to crack the Gen Z code, controls 42% of global spending. Now, savvy founders, regardless of age, are pivoting to appeal to this consumer group. Even investors are taking notice.
With multi-trillion-dollar spending power, this is a demographic to watch. And, it’s one that’s being served best by entrepreneurs within it.
Banking on experience
Kids take entrepreneurial risks because they have nothing to lose. Older founders have a different advantage: financial stability, free time, and decades of hard-earned wisdom—a bulletproof resume.
"Sometimes we underestimate the value of the tremendous toolbox of skills that we have amassed,” says Angel Cornelius who launched her hair care brand Maison 276 at the age of 57. Meet the new face of entrepreneurship.
Angel launched her business to address an underserved segment: women celebrating their grays who don't want to apologize for aging.
“This particular problem, I decided to take on myself in my kitchen,” says Angel. As her friends discovered her homegrown formulas, she started selling them while still working full time.
Eventually, Maison 276 struck a chord. Angel was approached for press opportunities and found a community that—just like her—was ready to celebrate aging naturally.
Angel then moved her business to Shopify and brought on as president her millennial son, Keith Corenelius Jr. With multigenerational magic and new tools powering the brand, Angel sidestepped retirement to run Maison 276 full time.
User-friendly interfaces and AI have democratized access. New data reveals almost 30% of employed people in their 70s are working for themselves (twice the ratio of those in their 60s). The convergence of life experience, economic security, and accessible technology has transformed entrepreneurship from a young person's gamble to a veteran's calculated move.
The overlooked majority
As the economic impact of the older demographic is becoming more apparent so too is the spending power of its consumers. And there are about to be a lot more of them.
In 2025, 4.18 million Americans will reach retirement age—over 11,400 people turning 65 daily.
Angel’s son Keith, a former JP Morgan analyst, saw the opportunity clearly: older generations don't demand representation like millennials and Gen Z—but enthusiastically embrace it when they find it.
This insight revealed an untapped market looking for brands speaking directly to them, especially on social media. Angel launched, as she puts it, at the start of a social movement. And the evolving digital confidence of the demographic means that movement is growing. “Middle-aged women are the most powerful consumer group in the world,” she says. “That's not a niche.”
In her sector, the opportunity is even more apparent. “The beauty industry is very youth focused,” she says. “Even when they try to sell products to middle-aged women, they use women who look like our daughters.”
Angel takes center stage as the face of her brand, something that’s helped her build a community around her business. She’s one of them. And icons like Martha Stewart are leveraging not only their star power but their common ground with the consumer too.
Authenticity sells
Nearly 9 in 10 American Boomers say they shopped online in early 2025. Even social media is factoring into their decisions with 70% making a purchase of a product recommended by a social media influencer and 1 in 5 participating in live shopping events. They're not just browsing. They're buying.
While older entrepreneurs best understand this demographic, younger founders are taking notice. And older creators—dubbed “grandfluencers”—are the gateway.
Dossier and Ilia are two brands on Shopify actively targeting older consumers, partnering with TikTok’s J-Dog and “silver hair model” Regina Burton, respectively.
There are older influencers in every category from food to comedy to men’s fashion. OneSkin ran a promoted post with 79-year old Instagram fitness creator Joan MacDonald. The messaging feels authentic. “This isn’t about looking younger,” the caption says, in part. “It’s about helping my skin stay as strong as the rest of me.”
Beyond Yoga has also perfected the strategy, pairing their products with aspirational content that appeals to an older customer. They pulled it off by partnering with Gym Tan, a 65-year-old jet-setting lifestyle influencer.
Both are brands not exclusively targeted to consumers over 50. In fact, their websites and social feeds predominantly feature younger models. Partnerships like these allow brands to authentically enter the space and welcome a wider range of customers.
But for merchants strategically targeting the over-50 market, targeted marketing isn’t enough. Once older customers are in a brand’s orbit, they’ll be more likely to stay if the experience isn’t alienating. Accessible website design and straightforward purchasing flows aren't just nice-to-haves—they're competitive advantages. Shopify is building this future for everyone.
Independent brands have an opportunity to shine in this moment, as they’re nimble enough to pivot to the nuanced requirements of this valuable segment. “That’s the advantage of starting small, scrappy, hungry,” says Angel.
The longevity revolution
All around her, Angel's friends are winding down their careers. She's just getting started. And those following suit represent a demographic shift that’s redefining entrepreneurship.
Angel's story proves the true secret to longevity doesn't come in a bottle or tube, but in finding purpose and passion in your second act. At 65, she’s in her prime. Businesses like hers are capturing this market by creating authentic solutions and experiences, not by pandering to stereotypes.
The future belongs to those who act on this overlooked opportunity in commerce. Whether you're leveraging decades of expertise or developing products for an underserved demographic, the message is clear: age and experience isn't just valuable, it's bankable.
*Methodology: Survey of 4,765 active non-Plus Shopify merchants between June 30th and July 10th, 2025.