The first wave of America’s 80 million baby boomers have hit their 60s. Over the next fifteen to twenty years, most of them will retire and become eligible for government benefits like Social Security and Medicare.

And they’ll all be going to the supermarket, which raises the question of what retailers should do to meet their needs. In Europe, where half of the population will be over 50 in 20 years, Tesco hopes to start building stores that cater specifically to elderly shoppers. These locations typically include lower shelves, non-slip flooring, wide aisles and carts with built-in chairs and locking wheels. Right now the British retailer — which in the United States operates Fresh & Easy stores in the retiree-friendly Southwest — looks to soon open a 60,000 square foot store in Newcastle next door to the local university’s Institute for Aging and Mental Health.

“With a growing elderly population this has to be the future for supermarkets,” the institute’s founder, Jim Edwardson, told London’s Daily Mail

American supermarkets have started addressing the issue by beefing up their pharmacy offerings and merchandising more senior-friendly products, like low-sodium soups. Some stores that service large elderly populations also offer lower shelves and wider aisles than traditional stores. The idea of a store dedicated entirely to older consumers, however, hasn’t caught on here.

Should it? Most supermarkets pride themselves on being all things to all people, and so focusing on one demographic like this raises that fear of excluding potential customers.

Then again, baby boomers have an awful lot of spending power and loyalty. If the local market is right, and if Tesco and others prove the format to be sound, then the time may be right to turn back the clock.

Stiff bookbags, starchy shirts and squeaky sneakers: Everything is new in the new school year — Including food policy. Every time about now, supermarkets are promoting snack foods and kid-friendly packaging. But unlike past years, the economy is much more of an issue in 2008. It’ll certainly be a factor in deciding whether Jenny or Kevin eat hot lunches or brown-bag it; it’ll also determine what goes into those lunches to begin with.

A story in The New York Times notes that the costs of basic manufacturing ingredients like wheat and corn are very high, driving up retail prices as manufacturers pass along with increases. Packages sizes are also reduced. As a result, consumers making peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches find their knives scraping the bottom of the jar a bit sooner than in the past.

Consumers are also exercising portion control, but for different reasons. It seems many have chosen to make their own snack bags of chips, pretzels or nuts, instead of buying those pricey preportioned kits containing single-serve bags. Some of those club packs could conceivably stretch all year if they’re doled out in the right proportions.

Consumers aren’t alone. School Districts are trying to make hot lunches more appealing while taking advantage of government subsidies and programs, which increase as more students eat. In some communities, kids are able to enjoy local produce. Goodbye french fries, hello local whole potatoes on the tray.

Hopefully, you’ll have a tray. Some institutes of higher education have decided to do away with trays in a move that not only reduces water waste and saves money, but might make students pause to consider their calorie load as they pile plates along their arms. Some advocates of the trayless cafeterias say students could stand a better chance of keeping off those unhealthy pounds often gained in college.