THE PURCHASE of healthier fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) is seen continuing despite rising prices, marketing data and analytics company Kantar said in an online briefing on Thursday.
Marie-Anne Lezoraine, managing director for Kantar Philippines Worldpanel Division, said that she expects the buying trend to continue, “but it is something that shoppers have to balance on a daily basis.”
“What we found is that during the pandemic, people have become much more aware [of] the role of nutrition in immunity. We saw that it had an impact on what people were purchasing,” Ms. Lezoraine said.
Kantar reported that 72% of Filipino consumers are seen prioritizing the purchase of healthier FMCG products.
The report also said that an estimated 99% of Filipino shoppers see being healthy as important, while 97% say that buying health products is important for the family.
“Purchase power, inflation, and affordability of products will be a key consideration,” she added.
For November, headline inflation slowed to 4.1% from 4.9% last month and 8% in the same period last year, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.
Ms. Lezoraine added that residents of the National Capital Region were seen purchasing more, by 84%, healthier food compared with those in Mindanao at 55%.
She said health remains a priority for most Filipino shoppers despite inflation or global uncertainties.
“What comes through is that… [it] is the reflection of a personal concern for the family… or it is an impact of the pandemic,” she added.
Kantar also reported that socioeconomic status does not seem to make a big impact on families’ consistency in purchasing healthy grocery items.
About 77% of the upper class (ABC) were seen buying healthier products often, followed closely by class D (70%) and class E (75%).
Kantar’s study gathered 1,200 respondents from February to April. “Filipino shoppers have expressed their desire to choose healthy and to buy healthy. Knowing why health is important and how shoppers define healthy grocery items will help brands develop or expand product lines to cater to these motivations and shopping practice,” Ms. Lezoraine said. — Adrian H. Halili