Toying with an idea for the elderly

Shop sells games and gadgets to members of the older population with a sense of fun, Yang Yang reports.

Being, how can we say this with a modicum of politeness, of an age where bus passengers may give up their seats for you, does have its benefits. But one thing not normally associated with the loss or graying of hair is toys. That is changing. Despite the fact that China now has about 254 million people aged 60 or above, it is not until recently that arguably the first toy shop targeted at this population group was opened.

The shop, named Lao You Suo Wan (meaning, appropriately, "to age with fun") Toy Shop for Elders, is located at an obscure corner in Beijing's Tongzhou district.

As usual, the founder, 42-year-old Song Delong, opens the door of the 180-square-meter shop at 9 am on a Friday. These days, there have been sporadic COVID-19 cases in Beijing, so that some frequent elder customers do not show up, he says.