Consumption patterns are changing across Southeast Asia because of the coronavirus pandemic. A new study by research firm Nielsen revealed just how much buying habits have changed.
The new socioeconomic and behavioral patterns are greatly impacting fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), Nielsen said. In the Philippines, consumers are much more focused on items for a "homebound lifestyle."
Food and dairy, for instance, saw a strong uptick in the Philippines. Across Southeast Asia, hair coloring, processed frozen food, and other food items have increased, too. While the study noted that habits are less and less influenced by coronavirus news.
"As consumer response deviates from the news cycle, the building blocks of the everyday shopping basket have bent in the face of economic downturn and transformation of the workforce," Nielsen Intelligence Unit head Scott McKenzie said in a report on the study.
"Decisions will need to be made to reconcile purchase habits people have had in place for years alongside today's new reality, where health and value priorities compete side by side," McKenzie said.