Lifestyle for the aged: Harsh Goenka announces launch of seniority.in

Goenka-led RPG Enterprises has started the venture

By default, the e-commerce marketplace caters generally to the young, or at least people south of their 50s. Till now that is; the Harsh Goenka-led RPG Enterprises recently launched seniority.in, a one-stop lifestyle and medical needs online store for senior citizens. 

Goenka, the chairman of RPG Enterprises, announced the launch of the venture on Twitter, and shared an image from seniority.in's first physical experience centre in Pune. 

The website claims to curate products specifically for use by senior citizens. Everything from grab bars to hearing aids, the site claims to offer over 2,000 products. However, the aim of the venture is not be a medical supplies store; instead, it markets itself as lifestyle destination for seniors.

The website is aesthetically pleasing and the focus seems to be on living to your fullest instead of just counting your days. Speaking of moving past a sanitised, dispensary-like approach, seniority has repackaged the old cliche of grandmothers and knitting with its do-it-yourself knitting kits in the gift section. 

Comfort, ease and independence

The site offers a vast range of mobility and hearing aids, furniture and home automation meant to ease everyday life, bathroom accessories and health monitors. Need a folding arm support, a toilet safety rail, or perhaps a shower chair? The site brings you what appears to be a reasonable selection of such speciality products, all from known brands. Wheel chairs, walkers, adult diapers, home automation plugs, and even grippers to let you hold your cutlery with a firm grip, it's all there. 

The idea appears to be to take the stigma out of growing old and allow you to "regain your independence". You can either shop by category or condition with a slick UI and the lack of a general-purpose e-commerce site's clutter making the experience smoother. 

And, did we mention that they also have a collection of "music cards"! These music cards are credit card-shaped reusable USB memory sticks preloaded with HD quality classics. The collection includes music by M S Subbulakshmi, Jagjit Singh, Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammed Rafi and other legends.

Senior diaries

The site also has a senior diaries section where customers leave their impressions and experiences. Here's an entry which seems to echo the venture's philosophy: "Growing Old Is Beautiful". In it, the customer writes, "I just loved the stich kits you have. I had added almost all of them to cart. Hard to make out what all can be deleted. When I received the order, it was beautifully packed. Didn’t get soiled in the rains. (sic)"

We don't know how well the venture will do. It is early days yet. However, actor and occasional political activist Anupan Kher seems to like the idea. He responded to Goenka's Twitter announcement with a tweet of his own: "Jai Ho!"