Singapore – The pandemic, which caused a drastic decline in retail sales, has created a new brand loyalty shift among Singaporean consumers causing for them to switch brands this year, new research from customer experience company Qualtrics show.

About 56% of the respondents have opted out for cheaper brands during the pandemic. Similarly, 57% of the respondents said that they are more likely to buy items on promotion, while half (51%) have bought different brands due to availability.

“While we know consumers will always value cost, quality, and convenience, findings from the Qualtrics study highlight the major extent to which people are actively seeking out alternatives. In fact, a third of respondents said they have tried at least one different brand since the pandemic began,” said Lisa Khatri, research and brand experience lead for Qualtrics in APJ.

The research also showed renewed consumer priorities among Singaporeans in terms of where to spend their money.

There has been a significant increase in purchases relating to takeaways and home delivery systems (50%), fresh food (42%), and packaged groceries (37%) as well as utility bills and service expenditure (47%), and cleaning products (35%). On the other hand, the majority of the consumers said that they’re spending less on luxury brands and products (60%), entertainment and travel (60%), eating out at restaurants (55%), and alcohol (48%).

Philippines – For the second year in a row, market research brand Euromonitor International has named USANA Philippines as the top vitamins and dietary supplements brand in the country. The ranking is based on retail value share among all supplement brands in the Philippines.

David Mulham, USANA’s chief sales officer said that it was not surprising for the Philippine leg of the brand to gain such recognition, as the country’s market is one of the most exciting and strongest regions.

Commenting on the recognition, Aurora Gaston, vice president of USANA’s Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand markets said, “I am proud to see our market receive this incredible title for the second year in a row. The Philippines has been part of USANA for 11 years, and it makes me so happy to see how much we’ve grown. This award is due to the hard work of our team here in The Philippines and the support we receive from the USANA home office. I would like to thank our Filipino Associates for trusting our products and helping us become one of the most successful direct selling companies in the country.”

Euromonitor International is composed of a global network of analysts for every key trend and driver, providing reports that offer strategic data, analysis, and consumer trends.