ParshipMeet Group Focuses on 40+ Daters, Boosts Sales and Retention

The dating industry has spent years trying to crack Gen Z, but some major players are discovering success by looking in a completely different direction. At last week's GDI Conference in London, executives revealed that pivoting to older demographics is delivering measurable results where youth-focused strategies had struggled.

ParshipMeet Group CEO Matthew Gain had a fairly simple message at the conference. While eharmony and Parship were busy chasing younger users, older daters kept turning up. Chasing Gen Z, Matthew said, had taken its toll. In mid-2025, the company began redeveloping its products around 40+ daters.

Slowing Down the Dating Experience

The shift goes beyond advertising. ParshipMeet is moving away from commoditised swiping and slowing the process down. Instead of presenting another stack of faces to swipe through, the focus is on one profile at a time. Parship works with psychologists, while AI is being used to improve matching and safety.

The idea is to create a safe place for people willing to be brave enough to start dating again in midlife. ParshipMeet has shifted much of its advertising budget to influencer marketing and reduced prices after previously raising them to offset falling revenue. Matthew said the changes are beginning to show results.

Sales increased 5% at Parship and 25% at eharmony, while conversion rose 23% and 41% respectively.

Likes, retention and renewal rates also improved, with further benefits expected in the H2 of 2026. The company's willingness to adjust pricing demonstrates a commitment to making the platform accessible to its newly prioritized demographic.

Profitable Operations Beyond the Gen Z Hype

Carsten Böltz, CEO of Online Personals Group, offered another reminder that there is plenty of business beyond the industry's Gen Z obsession. He has worked in online dating for 21 years. His group is profitable, and operates C-Date, be2, Academic Singles, Singles50 and several other brands.

They all run on one platform, allowing new features to be introduced across the portfolio. The company also quietly acquired eDarling from Spark Networks this year. This acquisition expands their reach in the European market while maintaining their focus on established user bases.

Carsten revisited the M&A predictions he made at the IDEA Summit in Paris in 2022. He expected few major private equity deals, selective acquisitions by strategic buyers and no significant wave of dating companies merging with each other. His predictions have largely held true as the market has matured.

Lessons from Shifting Demographics

The industry spends a lot of time talking about how to attract Gen Z, how Gen Z dates and why Gen Z doesn't behave like previous generations.

Matthew's experience suggests that chasing a new audience can mean losing sight of the one already using your product. The focus on Gen Z may have been a distraction from a more loyal and engaged user base. Companies that recognize and serve their existing audiences are finding sustainable growth where others struggled with demographic trends that never materialized into revenue.