Even as the possibility of another pandemic looms, a large portion of Filipinos—or nearly seven out of 10—are more concerned over the notion of the growing prices for groceries, according to a report by analytics and marketing data firm Kantar.
Kantar Philippines Worldpanel Division Consumer and Shopper Insight Director, Laurice Padlan-Obana, during a virtual meeting held on Wednesday, said that the information was derived from the responses of participants, following the question of what concerns them most.
The data suggest that the majority of Filipinos put more weight on the idea of food pricing, as a concern, rather than the case of another pandemic taking place again.
Shopperscore 2023 showed that 67 percent of the overall respondents share the same worry over the pricing of foods, while only 50 percent are distressed over another pandemic striking. Meanwhile, 44 percent are uneased by the idea of more expensive fuel.
The report, which was extracted from a survey conducted from February to April, involved 2000 households from all over the Philippines.
Still feeling the ramifications of COVID-19, inflation in the Philippines was at its highest in January when it hit 8.6 percent, but had gradually decreased in the months following, reaching 6.6 percent as of April 2023.
Other more pressing issues that seem to cause Filipinos anxiety are the effects of climate change at 39 percent; potential shortage in fuel at 34 percent; physical and mental health of oneself and others at 30 percent; financial security in the future at 30 percent; the likelihood of the country getting into political conflict with another at 28 percent; the prospect of the country’s economy at 24 percent; and scarcity of food at 23 percent.
While a small percentage—or eight percent—of the respondents were pessimistic about their situation in the future, more Filipinos are still optimistic that things will get better for them in the coming 12 months.
Kantar, in its report, classified Filipino consumers into three categories, namely “struggling,” “managing,” and “comfortable”—suggesting the different economic situations of each buyer as whether they are unable to cover their expenses, able to make ends meet, and having the most budget, respectively.
This article, Rising grocery prices cause concern among 67% of Pinoys — Kantar, was originally published at NoypiGeeks | Philippines Technology News, Reviews and How to’s.