Filipino consumers have tightened their belts to be able to handle price upticks due to the effects of Middle East crisis on fuel and other commodities, and have diversified shopping options to get the best offer.

A survey by Worldpanel by Numerator in the first four months this year, dubbed “Shopperscope 2026, showed how Filipinos consider their financial situation before the war in the Middle East and while the war is ongoing.

The survey results, released Friday, showed that consumers see a worsening of both their financial and socio-economic outlook in the next 12 months.

During the pre-conflict period, around 49 percent of respondents said their household financial outlook in the next 12 months “will stay the same,” but that figure fell to 34 percent at the onset of the war.

Pre-conflict, those who said their situation “will greatly improve” accounted for around 14 percent; those who said it “will somewhat improve,” 32 percent; “will somewhat worsen,” 4 percent; and 1 percent said it “will greatly worsen.”

When the war is already ongoing, 11 percent said their household financial situation “will greatly improve,” 24 percent said it “will somewhat improve,” 25 percent said it “will somewhat worsen,” and 6 percent said it “will greatly worsen”.

Laurice Obana, Shopper Insights Director at Worldpanel by Numerator, noted the decline in the situation during the briefing, following an improvement last year.

“Although the direct impact may vary, Filipino households are feeling intensified pressure by ongoing global challenges,” she said.

Unlike in the past, when shoppers bought most of their in-home spending in a few supermarkets, the current trend shows they are now looking at other options, such as online stores, where they can score discounts and promotions.

Most respondents still buy from sari-sari stores, or community stores, accounting for 41 percent of the total in the second quarter this year, up 3 percent on an annual basis or compared to the second quarter of 2025.

Share of those who buy from supermarkets and hypermarkets remains at 26 percent, market stalls, still at 7 percent; but those who buy from groceries and drugstores both declined by 7 percent to 6 percent and 3 percent of the total, respectively.

A big jump was registered by those who buy from discounters or the likes of Dali and O! Save, up 44 percent, now accounting for 3 percent of the total; online shops, up 9 percent, to 1 percent of the total; and convenience stores, up 12 percent, also 1 percent of the total.

“Retailers can no longer rely on old habits to attract shoppers. It is important to understand how and why Filipinos choose where they buy their essentials. While proximity is key, shoppers also place important considerations on completeness of assortment or product range as well as value delivery in these trying times,” Obana added.PNA