Consumers do a larger share of food shopping online, with a 2.5 times increase in users who buy food items on Shopee multiple times a month
Shopee,
the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, highlights
significant changes in the food and grocery market as Filipinos become more
“online-first” for food products. In particular, people are doing a larger
share of food shopping online, with a 2.5-times increase in users who buy food
items multiple times a month on Shopee. Sellers and brands adapt to this
"new normal" by offering a wider variety of online food products and
using live streaming to assure buyers of quality in real-time.
Ruoshan Tao, Head of
Marketing at Shopee Philippines, said, “Social distancing has
been a big part of our lives, and we have seen major changes in the way people
think about and shop for their daily needs. In particular, buying food and
groceries has become ‘online-first’ as consumers view e-commerce as a one-stop
channel. Sellers and brands are adapting quickly, with Shopee as a vital
platform for them to reach new customers. We see this as long-term evolution,
and Shopee will continue to lead this trend in the years ahead.”
Shopee
outlines four major trends in the food and grocery market in the Philippines:
1. Consumers become
“online-first” for food products
Filipinos
see e-commerce as the preferred channel for food and groceries, marked by:
●
More Filipinos are shopping for food online: Shopee
has observed a 2.5-times increase in the number of users who buy food products
multiple times a month. This shows that Filipinos are shifting a larger share
of food and grocery shopping online to reap the convenience of e-commerce.
●
People shop for food around the clock: E-commerce
is making it more convenient for consumers to shop for food items at any time.
As a result, shopping activity stays high throughout the week, peaking on
Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
2. Food and grocery shopping
evolve as people adapt to Covid-19 pandemic
People
are also buying a wider variety of food items online, as they make lifestyles
changes at different stages of social distancing and the Covid-19 pandemic:
●
High demand for staple foods and baking supplies in March: The onset of social distancing motivated people to ensure ready food
supplies at home, with demand for staple foods and baking supplies increasing
by 70 times.
●
More “offline” food products bought online: Filipinos became more comfortable with buying food and
groceries online as social distancing continued. In April, demand for beverages
and alcohol grew 8 times on Shopee.
●
Top products: Caramelized sugar syrup,
evaporated milk, and food flavorings for baking.
3. Rural and male consumers
among the most active online food shoppers
As
buying food products online becomes a norm, Shopee has observed that shopping
activity is proliferating among rural and male consumers:
●
Spike in grocery demand among rural consumers: Consumers outside Metro Manila are also seeing e-commerce as a key
channel for food and groceries because of reduced access to physical stores.
Shopee’s food shopping activity from areas outside of Metro Manila increased
2.5 times in the past few months.
●
Men are doing more grocery shopping and cooking: Male food shopping activity increased up to three times from 2019. Men
appear to be doing more home cooking and grocery shopping in recent months,
with seasoning products and baking ingredients as the
most popular among male users on Shopee.
4. Brands and sellers
digitalize with Shopee, use new tools to sell food online
Brands
and sellers are adapting to the new “online-first” environment through Shopee.
They are offering an extensive range of food products and leveraging new tools
to sell online:
●
Offering more choice and variety: Shopee has
seen steady growth in the number of brands and sellers offering food products
online, creating more buyers’ preference. On Shopee, the array of food products
on the platform has doubled from 2019.
●
Using new
tools to sell food online: Brands and sellers use live streaming to sell food
products more effectively. In recent months, Shopee Live has become a vital
tool for sellers to showcase new items and assure product quality in real-time,
driving more views and sales.
Tao closed, “The Covid-19 situation and social distancing measures have created
major changes in consumers’ lifestyles, affecting how brands and sellers
conduct their businesses. We are committed to helping the Filipinos during this
time of need, and we will continue to improve our platform to provide the daily
necessities of every consumer, brand, and seller.”
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Shopee for free through the App Store or Google Play.
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