Puregold, SM, Gaisano are the top 3 PH retailers

When it comes to buying fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), Filipinos still prefer sari-sari stores, groceries and market stalls. but hypermarkets, supermarkets and convenience stores are rapidly catching up in both popularity and spending.A new Kantar Worldpanel report found that close to 6 in 10 (57%) of FMCG purchases are still made in traditional channels while modern channels are close on its tail, steadily increasing from 34% in 2012 to 36% this year. Modern trade’s share in rural areas is on the rise as well. Purchases made via the channel rose from 24% in 2012 to 27% in 2014.The WPP-owned research group adds that 90% of Filipino housewives said they have visited the latter at least once in 2014. Gifting accounted just 6% of FMCG sources while direct sales secured around 1%.It’s growing popularity can also be gleaned from the P136 hike in annual spending in supermarkets, drug stores, hypermarts, convenience stores, personal care stores, and department stores from P7,775 in 2013 to P7,911 this year. Majority of shoppers who frequent this channel belong to Class ABC in urban areas in the National Capital Region.Food (59.5%) takes the lion’s share of FMCG items bought via modern trade, followed by personal care at 20.4%, beverages at 11.6% and household care items with 8.5%.Top 10 retailers in modern tradeKantar ranked Puregold as the top retailer among players in the modern trade channel, which alongside SM, Gaisano, Mercury Drug and Robinsonsenjoy 13% of total FMCG sales in the market, with 61% penetration and P6,000 spent on average.Mercury Drug was noted to have the penetration rate nationwide with 33% while Puregold and Robinsons are able to reach out to 22% and 14% of Filipino shoppers, a four (4%) percent and three (3%) percent increase respectively.Most remarkable was Gaisano, which is the the only retailer that has successfully encouraged shoppers to increase their spend per trip from P3,600 to P3,794 average spend – a feat considering that this shopping chain is based in Cebu in the Visayas region.