Key Trends Every Filipino Retailer Must Know Before 2018’s Christmas Shopping Season

Christmas, the biggest shopping season of the year, and e-commerce festivals like Black Friday and Cyber Monday spur the retail binge in the Philippines. This makes it the perfect time for consumers to scout out deals or finally buy those big-budget items.

Take a peek at how Filipinos will be searching and what they’ll be searching for this upcoming shopping season.

Q4 is peak shopping time in the Philippines as e-commerce festivals and Christmas spur on the retail binge. Google is a key companion on this journey. Read on to find out what captivates consumer interest at the height of the festive season.

Online search complements the offline purchase journey.

The growing rate of searches for apparel, accessories and electronics indicate that people turn to Google for inspiration and information. Currently in the Philippines, 51% of shoppers research online and purchase offline, but 24% of shoppers plan to buy more gifts online this holiday season than they have in the past.

A steady drumbeat of e-commerce festivals draws in value driven shoppers.

Shopping searches start to increase around late October, accelerating during the week of Black Friday and peaking two weeks before Christmas. These searches are especially related to sales, deals and discounts.

Christmas gifts are top of mind. [restrict]

56% of Filipino shoppers plan to buy gifts before or during the first week of December. Online shopping searches grew 57% faster than they did the previous year, signalling a strong desire to buy online in the festive season.

There’s always someone looking for last minute inspiration.

Although searches for “gift ideas” accelerate in Q4, they peak a week before Christmas.

Surprises that matter.

Apparel and footwear are popular categories of gifts, bought by 25% of Christmas shoppers in the Philippines for friends and family, primarily based on their utility and value for money. Food (20%) and personal care (16%) are the next most-considered gift categories.

Look out for Santa. 

Shopping searches for “toys” accelerate in Q4, spiking in the week just before Christmas. Queries for movies and games related to children’s brands also increase in this period.

It’s “shoe-pping” season

Shoes are a key category of interest during the festive season, and shoe-related searches are largely related to specific brands and models, celebrity collaborations particularly drive engagement. 

Shopping makes us hungry. 

Food and recipe searches spike by 25% in the week of Christmas and before New Year’s  Eve.

Waze tells us that navigations to supermarket spike by more than 40% on the weekend before Christmas because people stock up on groceries before everyone gathers to celebrate.

This article was contributed by Think With Google. 

Think with Google shares and publishes the latest data, analysis, insights and digital innovations for marketers to stay informed and inspired. From high-level insights to deck-ready stats to useful tools, you will find the data Google is exploring and the trends they’re tracking along with forward-looking perspectives and behind-the-scenes looks at digital campaigns—across industries, platforms, and audiences. 

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