MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Filipino consumers are returning to physical stores, but their digital shopping habits formed during the pandemic continue to be relevant, according to the latest Seasonal Holidays Study by Meta.
The study, a survey of nearly 2,000 people over 18 years old in the Philippines about their year-end shopping attitudes and behaviors, was conducted in December 2021. Around 67% of year-end shoppers surveyed said their purchases were made in-store, while 79% also did online purchases. For Gen X and Baby Boomers, mobile as a discovery channel increased by 13 points to 76%. Overall, almost 7 out of 10 shoppers surveyed have discovered and shopped on social platforms and have said that they will spend more or the same as last year.
The study outlined five new year-end Mega Sale Days consumer shopping trends to help businesses maximise every sales moment:
- Mega Sale Days drive new product discovery and consideration. Ninety-four (94%) of year-end shoppers surveyed are likely to try a new brand particularly in the following categories: Food (55%), Apparel and Fashion (38%), and Electronics (36%). Seventy six percent (76%) of all year-end shoppers enjoyed discovering relevant items they were not actively looking for.
- Consumer shopping behaviours shift across different Mega Sale Days. In the Philippines, Mega Sale Days span across the calendar year. Among year-end shoppers surveyed, 90% bought something during Mega Sale Days in 2021. 12.12 and 11.11 are the most popular Mega Sale Days, with 24% and 44% of year-end shoppers surveyed participating respectively.Product category skews are also noted – for 12.12, sales are skewed towards preparation for the holiday season with shoppers purchasing Apparel and Fashion (52%), Food (43%) and Health and Beauty related items(38%). For 11.11, sales are similarly skewed towards purchases for Apparel and Fashion (43%), Food (34%) and Health and Beauty (30%).
- Gen Z and Millennials are shopping more on social platforms. Almost 7 out of 10 of those surveyed have discovered and shopped on social platforms, and 76% of which tends to be Gen Z and Millennials. Ninety two percent (92%) of social shoppers made a spontaneous discovery while shopping online and are 1.3 times more likely to purchase on mobile compared to a non-social shopper. Among social shoppers, 80% have purchased a product they discovered via a personalized ad. In addition, 76% of social shoppers surveyed are most likely to trust a brand who partners with a trustworthy creator and influencer.
- Entertaining and immersive experiences influence Mega Sale Days purchase decisions. Social media is a strong discovery driver through personal connections and recommendations (78%), sponsored content (68%) and video content (64%). 81% of social shoppers surveyed have watched or are open to a live shopping event online, with shoppers moving from awareness to purchase within one session. Augmented Reality (AR) technologies also have a strong influence on shoppers with 88% believing AR tools are influential in their purchase decisions.
- Cross-border shoppers start shopping earlier, rely on instant business messaging and focus on brand value. APAC shoppers surveyed, 48% including Filipinos, made a cross-border purchase, with 43% of APAC cross-border shoppers starting their shopping earlier (by end November) than regular shoppers.Among APAC cross-border shoppers, 61% have messaged a business this past year-end.They said the convenience and instant responses from communicating with a person live were the top reasons for messaging a business. Brand values are particularly important to APAC cross-border shoppers with 41% looking at socially responsible brands, those that support local / small production and retail (40%) and have ethical/fair trade business practices (39%).
“Brands need to start building for discovery and being part of the consideration well ahead of Mega Sale Days,” said John Rubio, Philippine Country Director at Meta. “To meet people where they are, we recommend four key pathways to authentically engage. First, brands need to be social and mobile-first and deliver personalized ads experiences. Second, shoppers need to be able to connect with brands directly through instant messaging. Third, brands need to create immersive experiences through AR, live shopping and trusted creators. Finally, brands need to find creative ways to communicate your brand values and purpose.”
