What Filipinos prioritise when money is tight | WARC | The Feed

What Filipinos prioritise when money is tight

When budgets are stretched shortly before payday, Filipinos are typically buying personal hygiene products and ready-to-eat food items in their neighbourhood sari-sari store. 

That’s according to analysis by data analytics platform Packworks and research firm Fourth Wall, reported by the Inquirer. They looked at data from 24 periods across 2022 and found sales of certain products rose during 11 of those periods, particularly the 14th and 29th of each month.

Why it matters

Those few days before being paid – sometimes referred to as petsa de peligro – can be a difficult period for some consumers, but savvy brands could see this as a marketing opportunity. 

What people are buying 

• During petsa de peligro, the top five categories purchased in sari-sari stores are shampoo (11%), detergent (8%), body soap (8%), canned meat (7%) and disinfecting alcohol (7%). 
• Other ready-to-eat foods also showed growth within the same periods, including canned meat, powdered coffee, soy sauce and soda.
• During paydays, the top five show a similar pattern: detergent (9%), canned fish and seafood (7%), sanitary pads (7%), canned meat (6%) and baby powder (6%).

What it means

John Brylle Bae, research director at Fourth Wall, explains that these purchasing patterns reflect an aspect of Filipino culture which associates cleanliness with honour or hiya. “As hiya is foundational in the Filipino psyche, it is a foremost consideration, equaling in importance with essentials such as food,” he said. 

Sourced from The Inquirer