In some shopping malls in Japan, the escalators move very slowly in deference to their aging customer base. Meanwhile, NTT DoCoMo, Japan’s largest mobile-service provider, sells a senior-friendly phone with big buttons and oversized numerals.

From Japan and Italy, two rapidly aging First World countries, to the United States and Russia, merchants and marketers need to prepare for graying consumers. Here in America, demographers tell us that 60 percent of discretionary income is in the hands of people 55 and over. As many Americans struggle to pay their mortgages, an increasingly select group of baby boomers has climbed the housing wall and own primary residences free and clear. Where are they going to spend their money, and how?

No column can do justice to seniors’ retail challenges, but marketers can start with some simple changes that can mean a lot.

Seating is important not only to seniors, but to those who shop with them. If seniors know there will be a place to sit, they are more likely to walk a certain distance. H-E-B Grocery Co., the Texas chain, knows that many Latino families shop in multigenerational groups and understands that scattering benches throughout a big-box store is both an act of kindness and guerilla marketing. Giving the primary shopper—whether a husband or a grandmother—a place to park his or her accessories increases her effectiveness and basket size.

The waiting area in a pharmacy, clothing store, or auto-repair shop is also a selling and communications point. It is a place where a store has a captive audience that will look at and read messages presented to them. And the seat itself matters. For obvious reasons, fast-food restaurants tend to install seats that get uncomfortable after ten minutes. Customer seating should be as comfortable as the situation warrants—that is, it should be designed for the period of time you expect someone to sit. It should also be easy to get in and out of, a feature of particular importance to older shoppers. In other words, don’t install easy chairs unless that’s what you’re selling.

For Grandma and Grandpa, buying toys can be a nightmare. Department-store chains have abandoned the category, and most traditional toy stores have left regional shopping malls. Toys “R” Us and Wal-Mart have redefined the retail landscape for the toy business. Both merchants focus on aggressive pricing with limited sales support. If you know what you want, there are no better places to buy it. Grandparents love a bargain as much as the next shopper, but facing sky-high aisles of pink Barbie accessories can be a frightening experience for even the most devoted Nana or Pop-Pop.

The generational toy gap may be nowhere more apparent than when it comes to electronic games, yet the stakes here are high. Microsoft Xbox and Nintendo Wii have had a lock on big-ticket toy purchases this year. In fact, to be 9 years old in America and not own an electronic game console is deprivation of a higher order. It might seem a heroic effort to get Grandma to buy !IGears of War!I, the hot Xbox 360 offering, but it could have a big payoff. Households headed by people 55 and older account for almost one in five dollars spent on toys, games, and hobbies.

One of the biggest problems grandparents face is determining whether 7-year-old Alyssa would be able to use an Indian bead loom, or if 11-year-old Bobby would be embarrassed or thrilled by a set of plastic dinosaurs. Toy vendors can’t guarantee to satisfy the notoriously fickle tastes of individual boys and girls, but they can provide basic guidance to befuddled grandparents, as well as aunts, uncles, friends, and even parents.