ONLINE shoppers prioritized trusted brands and everyday essentials in the first quarter of the year, e-commerce platform Lazada Philippines said on Tuesday.
This marked a shift in Filipino consumer behavior, Lazada noted, especially during its anniversary sale on March 24 to 27, when global fashion and sportswear, as well as essential grocery items, were deliberate and strategic purchases, relying on quality and cost-efficiency in every transaction, Lazada explained.
“We’re seeing a new kind of shopper emerge: intentional, value-conscious, and confident in choosing authentic brands on LazMall and everyday essentials on LazMart,” Lazada Philippines CEO Carlos Barrera said.
During the four-day sale, Lazmall — Lazada’s curated “virtual mall” featuring 100-percent authentic products from leading international and local brands, official brand stores, and authorized distributors — outpaced overall performance, achieving up to four times gross merchandise value (GMV) uplift against business-as-usual (BAU).
International sportswear brands Adidas, Puma, and Anta posted three times GMV uplift, while the anniversary sale saw global brand stores record a 2.5 times increase in orders and 3.5 times more in GMV growth.
The growth in global brands reflects consumers‘ growing appetite for diverse, high-quality international assortments, alongside trusted local brands, Lazada said.
“Together, these trends highlight a broader shift among Filipino shoppers toward intentional, quality-driven purchases, particularly in high-consideration categories, such as beauty, fashion, electronics, and sportswear,” Lazada noted.
Everyday essentials remained a foundation of Q1 shopping behavior, with LazMart seeing sustained growth across the quarter where it emerged as one of the top-performing categories in the anniversary sale, achieving up to 3 times GMV uplift against BAU, with voucher and discount usage increasing 4 times versus BAU.
Grocery bundles and value packs also drove strong demand, with brands Bear Brand, Birch Tree, and Spam marking the rise of “smart basket building,” as households turn more to online shopping for bulk purchases to maximize savings and convenience, Lazada said.
Filipino consumers are also embracing AI-powered features to make more informed and efficient purchase decisions.
Lazada’s AI assistant Lazzie and in-app features helped drive nearly $3 million in GMV regionally, as users engaged with tools such as personalized recommendations, voucher discovery, and real-time assistance.
User engagement with AI features grew significantly, with more shoppers interacting with Lazzie to discover deals, compare products, and complete purchases with greater confidence.
Global and local partners comprised 5,000 new product arrivals in March, supported by Lazada‘s integrated campaign ecosystem, nationwide logistics network, and in-app engagement features.
