During the holiday season, majority of Filipinos shopped on social platforms

Almost 7 out of 10 Filipino shoppers discovered and shopped on social platforms during the holiday season, according to a survey commissioned by global tech firm Meta.

Personalized ads were a huge driver for sales, with 80% of Filipino respondents saying they purchased products after seeing them in ads.

“Brands need to start building for discovery and being part of the consideration well ahead of Mega Sale Days,” said John Rubio, Meta Philippines’ country director, in a statement.

YouGov, the market research firm that conducted the survey, gathered insights from nearly 2,000 shoppers in the Philippines aged 18 and up from December 1 to 24, 2021.

Released in July 2022, the survey also found that 92% of Filipino shoppers made a spontaneous discovery while shopping online.

The main social media discovery drivers were personal connections and recommendations (78%), sponsored content (68%), and video content (64%).

Mr. Rubio said that Filipinos’ online shopping habits continue even as they return to physical stores for Mega Sale Days: 67% of shoppers surveyed made purchases in-store, but 79% did online purchases.

“Brands need to be social and mobile-first and deliver personalized ads experiences,” he said.

Other findings include:

Ninety-four percent of year-end shoppers surveyed are likely to try new brands in the food, apparel and fashion, and electronics categories.

Around 90% bought something during 12.12 and 11.11 Mega Sale Days, each of which respectively had 24% and 44% of the surveyed shoppers participate.

Of those who shopped on social platforms, 76% were Gen Z and Millennials.

Entertaining and immersive experiences are a huge influence, with 81% of social shoppers surveyed saying they’ve watched or are open to a live shopping event online. Of these, 88% believe augmented reality (AR) technology can influence their decisions.

“Brands need to create immersive experiences through AR, live shopping, and trusted creators,” Mr. Rubio said. “They need to find creative ways to communicate your brand values and purpose.” — Brontë H. Lacsamana