Diving into digital platforms and young Filipino shopping habits

Kadence Philippines urges brands to prioritise seamless navigation, enhanced engagement, and sustainability efforts.

SHOPPING habits amongst the Filipino youth have been significantly influenced by the omnipresence of digital platforms, according to market research firm Kadence Philippines.

Filipino youth now effortlessly navigate the expansive digital landscape, discovering new products and engaging with brands seamlessly, through their smartphones.

“It’s not just about transactions. It’s about building relationships,” Kadence Managing Director Iris Lorenzo told Retail Asia on the approach to this youth market.

“Digital platforms are game changers as young consumers can now shop whenever, wherever they want, all in the comfort of their smartphones,” said Lorenzo. “Digital media has become one of the main purchase channels and major pillars for decision making for young consumers.”

Filipinos rank amongst the most engaged online users worldwide, as per Digital 2023 report from DataReportal. Citing the data, Lorenzo said that Filipino youth’s engagement with social media and gaming exceeds global averages, with a preference for English-language content, mirroring the country’s diverse cultural awareness.

As the retail sector evolves, she stressed the importance for brands to adapt swiftly to emerging trends. “Filipino youth are all about digital life, which means companies need to up their game when it comes to digital engagement, think social media, influencer partnerships, and then you need slick e-commerce platforms to catch the eye and keep them up,” she said.

Environmental awareness

Young Filipino consumers exhibit heightened awareness of environmental and social issues, said Lorenzo, so there is a necessity for brands to showcase tangible commitment to sustainability.

She recommended several initiatives, including offering eco-friendly products, reducing packaging waste, promoting recycling and upcycling, and supporting sustainable brands and practices within the industry.

“Filipinos are more clued into environmental and social issues. So they actually are looking for brands, who can walk the talk, and they have to be able to show that they are eco-friendly and socially responsible,” she said.

Meeting youth preferences

Addressing the rising popularity of customisation and subscription-based models amongst young consumers, Lorenzo said personalised shopping experiences can be enhanced by offering more options like colour choices, varied sizes, engraving, or labelling.

She also advocated for retailers to leverage social media, influencer partnerships, and personalised shopping experiences to meet evolving consumer preferences effectively. She urged them to use social media to identify effective online platforms, whether for e-commerce, socialisation or gaming.

The Kadence expert said interactive shopping experiences, both online and in-store, are also encouraged like including virtual try-on features for clothing and accessories through augmented reality or virtual reality technologies.

Lorenzo stressed the importance of implementing rewards programmes to encourage social sharing. This could involve rewarding customers for referring friends on social media or sharing product images online.

She said data-driven insights and innovative technologies are paramount in meeting the evolving needs of Filipino consumers.

“In order to do this, they have to understand what makes consumers stick, whether using small or big data analytics, they have to also do surveys in depth and focus group interviews, research is really the key in fine tuning their marketing strategies,” Lorenzo said.