Baby boomers are consumers with clout, and when they buy, businesses listen.

At the 2004 International Home & Housewares Show last month in Chicago, hundreds of new items designed to make life easier and less stressful for the rapidly expanding group of Americans age 50 and older showed up in every product category, including home health care, home storage and organization, entertainment and leisure.

It's not a surprising phenomenon, says Lisa Casey Weiss, lifestyle consultant for the show. Every eight seconds, another American turns 50, and more people are living to be 100 and older. People turning 50 today could have decades of purchasing power ahead of them.

By 2005, 38 million boomers will be 50 or older. While mature Americans make up 35 percent of the population, they have more than 75 percent of the financial assets and almost 60 percent of the discretionary income. In the marketplace, that makes them the 800-pound gorilla.

"The boomer market is sophisticated and has big buying power, so every year we see more and more products geared toward this demographic," says Weiss. "Research shows boomers want items that combine style and function. They want technology to make their lives easier. They want to maintain a healthy lifestyle. And what they want they tend to get."

Innovative items scheduled to hit stores this spring and summer include lightweight, self-propelled bag-less vacuums; trash cans that open with just the gentlest tap of the foot; pre-programmed computerized sewing machines; lightweight silicone-coated bake ware; and hand-held, spa-type showerheads. But while older consumers are looking for products that add convenience to their lives and contribute to a healthful lifestyle, they don't want their mother's -- or grandmother's -- merchandise.

These days, the elements of Universal Design (the concept of creating products easy to use for the largest possible spectrum of consumers) are incorporated into wares that are sleek, stylish and trendy.

"You see ergonomically designed handles, larger dials and readouts on products across the board, not just on items marketed specifically to older individuals," says Weiss. "Boomers may want kitchen gadgets and cookware that are easy on arthritic hands, but at the same time they want good-looking, professional-quality merchandise at home in a gourmet kitchen. Oxo's success in this area did not go unnoticed."

Oxo International, founded in 1990, is best known for its Good Grips line of kitchen and household tools, which feature easy-to-use, oversized black rubber handles.

Many boomers are empty-nesters who are looking to downsize and simplify their lives. Weiss says attractive storage components designed to maximize space and eliminate clutter are gaining in popularity. Manufacturers have also discovered that nostalgia sells well. Desk and wall phones with push-button technology and ear-piece volume control concealed behind rotary dial faces, and compact disc players designed to look like juke boxes, all drew attention at the show.

"Boomers love items that evoke memories and remind them of their childhood," says Weiss. "At the same time, they want the most advanced technology on the market."

Other products previewed at the show:

A foldable carry bag with a light aluminum frame, durable polyester and a soft rubber handle that can be used for everything from picnics to grocery shopping.

>A line of brooms, mops, rakes and indoor/outdoor tools featuring an ergonomically designed handle with soft, pliable grips that also can be adjusted for height or used to swivel 360 degrees, making cleanup faster and easier.

>Do-it-yourself test kits for mold, bacteria, asbestos, carbon monoxide, radon and lead in paint and dust. A patented food storage container that enables the user to snap the lid on the bottom of the bowls when not in use. Also, each of the same-sized lids snap together and the same-sized bowls nest within each other.

>A lightweight, hard-surface outdoor sweeper that can pick up sand, twigs and grass clippings from concrete or asphalt.