Contrary to popular belief, older adults are interested in participating in shopping activities. However, changes in both physical and cognitive abilities may limit or prevent an older individual from doing so if the retail store is not designed to accommodate their needs. Universal Design features can be implemented into a retail store to address these functional issues.; Although Universal Design creates an accommodating and aesthetically-pleasing environment to people of all ages (Null, 1989), this research study focused on senior women. The purpose was to learn what Universal Design features are preferred in a brick-and-mortar apparel store, so that retailers can provide a more approachable shopping environment for older adults. The research (1) explored the preference of Universal Design features (value contrast, no pattern, focal point, continuous floor material, open spaces between fixtures on the selling floor, and wide aisles), (2) assessed if groups of Universal Design features influence approach behaviors based on preferences of pairs of photographs, (3) developed an instrument survey that can be used in future research, and (4) created a model integrating approach-avoidance theory (Mehrabian & Russell, 1974), the ecological model of aging/person environment fit theory (Lewin, 1935), and Universal Design features in a retail store.; This study consisted of a convenience sample of 127 participants recruited from senior organizations throughout Columbus, Ohio. The instrument consisted of the Universal Design Retail Preference Survey (UDRPS), and a demographic questionnaire. The UDRPS consisted of 24 pairs of black-and-white photographs of Universal Design features and open-ended questions that were asked in order to collect feedback on photograph preferences. A power point presentation was presented simultaneously at the data collection. Seven pilot studies were also conducted.; Major results indicated that participants selected Universal Design most of the time (73.6%), and were concerned the most with spatial issues, such as narrow aisles, and lack of open spaces. A K-means cluster analysis classified participants into three groups based on preferences of photographs and demographic characteristics. Implications for retailers are to use (1) 60 inch wide aisles and open floor spaces, and (2) informative focal points with strong value contrast.
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