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MANILA, Philippines – Filipinos have found a way to lighten their burden in these tough times: shop with smaller baskets.
The annual Philippines Shopper Trend Report by global information and insights company Nielsen showed Filipinos visited grocery stores more often last year, but bought fewer items.
The report found that 45% of Filipinos went to supermarkets on a weekly basis in 2011, up from 30% in 2010.
Similarly, the average frequency of trips to stores increased to 2.6 visits per month last year from 2.2 in 2010.
However, Nielsen Philippines managing director Stuart Jamieson said, “consumers are decreasing their basket size in order to manage their available cash, shopping only as the need arises.”
The frequency of buying few items at stores rose to almost 3 times a month in 2011, from an average of once a month the year before, according to the Nielsen report.
“The impact of the global economic crisis coupled with natural disasters both within and outside of the country has caused consumers to be more cautious with their spending, and this is evidenced in the move to more frequent shopping visits but smaller basket sizes,” Jamieson explained.
The Nielson study, conducted between October 8 and November 23, 2011, interviewed at least 1,500 respondents who were both “main grocery buyers and key influencers” in urban locations nationwide.
Buying items on promo
More Filipinos have also turned to promotional offerings to cut their expenses.
While Filipinos have a high degree of loyalty towards brands — only 9% are likely to buy different brands due to promos — close to 30% say they actively search for discounts when shopping and 40% say they purchase items on promo if it is the brand they like.
“This behavior illustrates Filipino shoppers’ loyalty to brands they have tried and tested, however, it also demonstrates price awareness when it comes to promotional engagement,” noted Jamieson.
In order to stay within budget, 9 in 10 Filipino shoppers also prepare lists before going to stores. But, according to Jamieson, most are unlikely to stick to these lists.
Jamieson said shoppers are still very open to impulse purchases and promos have a lot to do with it.
“Manufacturers and retailers should be looking to implement store offers and promotions which connect with shoppers to generate increased sales,” he said.
Green shopping
Meanwhile, 50% of Filipino shoppers say they will purchase environmentally friendly products only if their prices are on par with the cheapest brands.
A little over 27% of shoppers purchased more or the same number of products that were friendly to the environment in 2011, while 44% did not purchase such products at all.
“Price remains a barrier for Filipinos to adopt environmentally friendly purchasing habits,” said Jamieson. – Rappler.com
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