As more and more Filipinos adopt making online purchases, the country’s overall e-commerce sales are anticipated to hit $24 billion (Php1.36 trillion) by 2025, with a fifth of the total coming from foods and beverages, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Per the latest market brief, the USDA-Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) said that reaching that expected number would require the country’s total e-commerce sales to develop at a compound annual growth rate of nine percent.
Based on the same finding, the agency claims that more than half of the 70 million online users in the country conduct cross-border e-commerce (CBE), with non-consumable purchases taking account of a quarter of the overall sales.
- Temu now in PH to take on Lazada, Shopee
- Filipino “e-shopaholics” make up almost half of online purchases in PH — study
The USDA-FAS claimed that the new record in the business-to-consumer (B2C) CBE on food and beverage products began post-pandemic when new ways of getting imported goods directly became accessible to Filipino consumers.
In the wake of that event, the US agency also broadcasted that the number of sales could quintuple as awareness about CBE became more prevalent. Specifically, from $1 million in sales in 2022, that number could increase to $5 million in 2025.
Within the context of a developing CBE, the USDA points to the emergence of freight forwarders and virtual platforms as reasons why Filipino consumers are driven to import more goods for personal consumption.
Looking into last year’s sales, there appeared to be a large inclination for the following products: chocolates, baked goods, food supplements, pet food, coffee and tea, whey protein powder, wine, beer, and spirits, energy drinks, honey, olive oil, nuts, fruits, dairy products, and prepared vegetables.