As Filipinos Adjust To The New Normal, Shopee Sees A Shift Toward “Online-First” Food Products

Consumers are purchasing more food goods online, with a 2.5-fold rise in users purchasing food items numerous times each month on Shopee.

As Filipinos become more “online-first” for food products, Shopee, the top e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, notes substantial shifts in the food and grocery sector. People are shopping for food more frequently online, with a 2.5-fold rise in users purchasing food items many times each month on Shopee. Sellers and brands respond to this “new normal” by expanding their online food product offerings and employing live streaming to ensure buyers of quality in real time.

“Social distancing has been a large part of our lives, and we’ve seen major changes in the way people think about and shop for their daily needs,” said Ruoshan Tao, Head of Marketing at Shopee Philippines. Food and grocery shopping, in particular, has grown more ‘online-first’ as customers see e-commerce as a one-stop shop. Sellers and brands are fast responding, with Shopee serving as a critical platform for reaching new customers. We see this as a long-term trend, and Shopee will continue to be at the forefront of it in the coming years.”

Shopee identifies four main trends in the Philippine food and grocery market:
When it comes to food goods, consumers are increasingly turning to the internet first.
E-commerce is the favored avenue for food and groceries among Filipinos, as evidenced by:

Food shopping is becoming more popular in the Philippines, with Shopee reporting a 2.5-fold increase in the number of customers who buy food products many times each month. This indicates that Filipinos are shifting a significant portion of their food and grocery shopping online to take advantage of e-ease. commerce’s
People buy for food at all hours of the day and night, thanks to e-commerce, which allows them to do it at any time. As a result, shopping activity is strong throughout the week, with Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays being particularly busy.
People’s food and grocery shopping habits change as they adapt to the Covid-19 pandemic.
People are also purchasing a greater range of food goods online as their habits alter as they progress through various stages of social alienation and the Covid-19 pandemic:

In March, there was a lot of demand for staple meals and baking supplies: People were motivated to secure ready food supplies at home as social alienation began, with demand for staple foods and baking supplies growing by 70 times.
More “offline” food products purchased online: As social alienation developed, Filipinos were more comfortable purchasing food and groceries online. On Shopee, demand for beverages and alcohol increased eightfold in April.
Caramelized sugar syrup, evaporated milk, and baking flavorings are among the company’s best-selling items.
Consumers from rural areas and men are among the most active internet food shoppers.
As buying food products online becomes more common, Shopee has noticed an increase in shopping activity among rural and male consumers:

Increased demand for groceries among rural residents: Due to limited access to physical stores, consumers outside of Metro Manila are considering e-commerce as a vital avenue for food and consumables. In the last few months, Shopee’s grocery purchasing activity from places outside of Metro Manila has surged 2.5 times.
Men are doing more grocery shopping and cooking: from 2019 to 2020, male food shopping activity climbed thrice. In recent months, men appear to have done more home cooking and grocery shopping, with seasoning items and baking supplies being the most preferred among male Shopee users.
With Shopee, brands and sellers go digital and use new methods to sell food online.
Through Shopee, brands and sellers are adjusting to the new “online-first” environment. They have a wide choice of food products and are selling them online using modern tools:

More choice and variety: The number of brands and merchants offering food products online on Shopee has steadily increased, resulting in increased buyer preference. The number of food goods available on Shopee has doubled since 2019.
Using new methods to sell food online: To sell food goods more effectively, brands and sellers use live streaming. Shopee Live has been an important tool for vendors in recent months, allowing them to present new items and ensure product quality in real time, resulting in more views and sales.
“The Covid-19 crisis and social distancing measures have generated significant changes in consumers’ lifestyles, altering how brands and sellers run their businesses,” Tao said. We’re devoted to assisting Filipinos in their time of need, and we’ll keep improving our platform to meet the daily needs of every consumer, brand, and seller.”

Shopee is available for free on the App Store and Google Play.