War-driven inflation reshapes Filipinos’ shopping carts

MANILA, Philippines – As rising inflation squeezes household budgets, shoppers at membership shopping chain Landers Superstore are increasingly skipping appliances and furniture in favor of pantry staples, such as eggs, cooking oil and canned goods.

Such a shift in spending behavior is now forcing retailers like Landers to work harder to keep prices steady, even as rising fuel, import and supply costs linked to the Middle East crisis pressure margins across the industry.

“We saw discretionary spending go down and we saw more and more value-proposition shopping from our members,” Landers deputy CEO Bill Cummings tells the Inquirer.

Cummings attended the launch of the CBC Landers Executive Visa Signature, powered by Chinabank.

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“As mom started to change her shopping behavior, maybe not buying televisions and couches and instead buying basics, like eggs and oil, the timing was actually perfect,” he says, referring to the 2025 launch of Selection by Landers, the company’s private-label brand.

The change in consumer behavior comes as Philippine inflation accelerated to a three-year high of 7.2 percent in April, with food accounting for the largest share of the increase at 37.3 percent.

Cummings says Landers’ growing private-label business had helped cushion the impact of rising costs by giving the retailer greater control over pricing, particularly for staple household goods.

“We realize this (crisis) is probably temporary, but we want to hold it (prices) as long as we can,” he says.

Still, Cummings acknowledged that some suppliers had already attempted to raise prices.

“Our buyers work every day and try to negotiate with our suppliers to mitigate any and all price increases,” he adds.

Landers currently operates 16 stores nationwide alongside an e-commerce platform, although the retailer still sees substantial room for expansion in the Philippines.

Cummings says the company estimates the market could still support another 30 to 35 stores nationwide.

At the same time, Landers is accelerating the rollout of more private-label products, with another 200 to 300 items currently under development over the next several quarters.

For instance, Cummings says nearly all of the retailer’s Christmas assortment this year would already consist of private-label products.

“We’re really positioning ourselves now and in the future to be that trusted source for the Filipino mom to come and get the best values anywhere in the Philippines,” he says. INQ