1. CONSUMER COPING BEHAVIOR
SURVEY RESULTS AND INSIGHTS
BY DR. NED ROBERTO
FEBRUARY 20, 2012, 1:00 PM TO 5:00 PM, NEW WORLD HOTEL
For more info, call 813-2703/32 or email inquiry@saltandlight.ph
About The Survey
This 2012 Consumer Coping Behavior Survey is the 12th in the series that started in 1984. This
survey series has served the needs of business especially in its category management and
marketing planning. NGOs and government have joined business to use the coping survey data
to predict and understand economic turning points (both downturns and upturns). Several large
corporations have resorted to the coping data to give a micro-level support to the macro-level
market review that the economic briefing of its annual corporate strategy planning covered.
The Consumer Coping Surveys’ analyzed data have allowed subscribing companies to learn if
for consumers their product or service categories have remained or changed classification as:
(1) a staple, (2) near staple, (3) nice to have but not necessary, (4) near dispensable, or (5)
definitely dispensable recurring expenditure items. The analysis included practical suggestions
about what to do should a subscribing company’s product falls in any one of these five
classifications. In this 2012 survey wave, the gathered data will gain an added level of practical
relevance because they will include the brand consumers will have purchased most per
classification.
As in the previous survey waves, the 2012 survey will trace how consumers in coping will be
adjusting their purchase and consumption of each of the 10 dozens preselected product and
service categories consumers budget for recurring expenditures. These alternative consumer
budgeting choices per product category and that the survey will measure include: (1) cutting
back or reducing purchase/usage, (2) economizing, (3) substituting, or else (4) even dropping
from their budget. As already mentioned, the 2012 coping questionnaire will include the brand
involved per consumer budgeting behavior.
Survey Methodology
This 2012 Consumer Coping Survey is a nationwide study that gathered data from the specified
and qualified respondents via face-to-face interviews. Interviewing will make use of an
exclusively designed structured questionnaire.
The target survey respondent is “the household budget manager,” namely, the housewife. A
total of 1,200 (±3% error margin at the 95% confidence level) housewife interviews were
completed. This total is broken down into 300 (±6% error margin) respondents in each of the

2. four study areas: National Capital Region, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
Multi-stage sampling was used in selecting the respondents from 240 barangays from all regions.
Provinces, cities/towns and barangays are selected with probabilities proportional to size, while
households are selected using interval sampling.
The survey questionnaire design maintains its basic structure from its 1984 original. It measures
consumer coping behavior in two sets. The first set looks at just a couple of items relating to
housewife consumers’ perception of: (1) their household paying capacity versus last year’s, (2)
then versus their expenditure needs, and (3) versus their felt occasions of being “kapus” (or
hard-up). The second much longer set measures the housewife’s budget treatment of each of
some 10 dozens pre-selected recurrent expenditure items.
Survey Timing & How the Results Will Be Reported
Survey fieldwork was done in March 2012. Data processing, analysis and reporting was
completed April 2012.
The coping behavior data will be analyzed to identify which product and service categories
consumers per survey area and S.E.C. was classified as:
1. An “absolutely-necessary” recurring expenditure item and therefore will most likely be
maintained or even raised in purchase and/or usage;
2. A “necessary-but-not-absolutely-necessary” recurring expenditure item and therefore
may be maintained in the budget;
3. A “nice-to-have-but-not-necessary” recurring expenditure item and so may be reduced
or economized in usage;
4. A “can-do-without-but-still-nice-to-have” or near-dispensable recurring expenditure
item and therefore may be replaced or substituted by another; and
5. A “definitely-can-do-without” or truly dispensable recurring expenditure item and
therefore will be replaced or even deleted from the budget.
Major Survey Questions
1. For each of the following products, which did you do in the past month:
a. Not used or bought ever since
b. Dropped from the budget even before

3. c. Dropped from the budget just now
d. Substituted with something else
e. Lessened use or buying
f. Economized use
g. Put back into the budget
h. Used or bought as before
i. Used or bought even more than before
2. a. For items substituted (code d in Q1): Will you please tell what you substituted for
this item?
b. What brand did you replace it with?
3. For items economized on (code f in Q1): Will you please tell me how you are
economizing on this item?
4. For codes e, f, g, h, i in Q1: What brand did you last buy?
The questions above will be asked of EACH of the following pre-identified product and service
categories: (It is possible for us to add products which your sponsor would be interested in)
STAPLE AND FRESH FOODS
Live chicken Fresh fish
Dressed chicken Rice
Fresh/Table eggs Fresh meat
Fresh vegetables Fresh fruits
PROCESSED AND PACKED FOOD
Canned meat Instant spaghetti
Canned corned beef Spaghetti
Canned meat loaf Macaroni
Canned fruits Pork and beans
Canned mixed fruits like fruit cocktail Roasted chicken
Canned pineapple tidbits/chunks Sauces
Canned fish Spaghetti sauce
Canned sardines Tomato paste
Canned tuna Tomato sauce
Instant noodle Tuyo
COOKING AND FOOD AIDS/CONDIMENTS
Cooking oil Fish sauce
Catsup Sugar

4. Liquid seasoning Vinegar
Sautéing ingredients Soy sauce
MILK AND DAIRY PRODUCTS
Infant/starter formula Ready to drink low-fat milk
Follow-on formula Ready to drink sterilized milk
Growing-up milk Ready to drink chocolate milk
Powdered filled milk for kids Ready to drink white milk
Powdered coffee creamer Ready to drink flavored milk ice cream
Powdered chocolate drink (single serve)
Condensed milk Ice cream (bulk)
Evaporated milk Chocolate candy (local)
Ready to drink milk in tetra or can Chocolate candy (imported)
REFRESHMENTS AND LIQUID/POWDERED DRINKS
Beer Powdered fruit juice
Bottled water in 5 gal bottles for use with Powdered tea roast and ground coffee
dispenser Instant coffee or soluble powdered coffee
Purified water from water filling stations Soft drinks
Water in plastic bottles Tea bags
Powdered or ready to drink Canned tea drink
Energy drink isotonics Ready to drink iced tea
Fruit juice in foil pack Chocolate drink in tetra or can
Fruit juice in cans Yogurt drink
Fruit juice in tetra pack
Liquid fruit juice concentrate
BREAD AND BREAD SPREADS
Pandesal Margarine
Loaf bed/tasty Mayonnaise
Butter cheese spread Sandwich spread
Cheese
HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
Visit to a family doctor Medicine for stomachache/acidity
Visit to a specialist doctor Vitamins from a drugstore or supermarket
Visit to a dentist Vitamins from an independent dealer/seller
Headache medicine Food supplement for diabetes
Cough/cold medicine

5. BEAUTY CARE PRODUCTS
Alcohol Lotion
Astringent Make-up
Cleansing cream Talcum powder
Cologne Whitener
Facial wash
PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS AND NEEDS
Deodorant Feminine wash
Sanitary napkin Baby oil
Panty liner Bath soap
Shampoo Detergent soap or powder
Conditioner Denture care products like denture adhesive and
Toothpaste cleanser
Toothbrush Therapeutic toothpastes for sensitive teeth and gum
Toilet paper care
BABY AND ELDERLY NEEDS
Baby wipes
Disposable diapers for babies
Disposable diapers for adults
FINANCIAL SERVICES AND NEEDS
Rotating credits (paluwagan)
Borrowing
HOUSEHOLD UTILITIES AND EXPENDITURES
LPG Cable TV subscription
Floor wax Prepaid cellphone load
Subscription/load on Internet Postpaid cellphone subscription
connection used at home Cellphone accessories
Landline Use of electricity
Phone subscription Use of water
RECREATIONAL AND ENTERTAINMENT EXPENDITURES
Eating out in a convenience store Going to theme parks
Eating out in a hotel restaurant Going to beaches for a picnic or outing
Eating out in jollijeeps or food vendors Going to gimmick places/outlets
Eating out in carinderias Going to videoke/karaoke/bars
Eating out in fast food restaurants Buying rubber shoes

6. Eating out in food courts Buying sports sando
Eating out in sidewalks Buying sprots jersey shirts
Eating out in fine dining restaurants Buying sports bag
Eating out in school/office canteens Buying sports bag
Ordering food for delivery from a fast food Buying sports jacket
restaurant Buying newspaper
Watching movies Buying comics or magazines
Malling Going to health and beauty
Going to coffee shops centers/salons
Going to Internet cafes to email or to chat Going to the gym/fitness center
Going to internet cafes for online gaming Going to a spa/massage place
Get a summary of this report when you come to the Executive Briefing on Consumer Coping
Behavior Survey Results and Insights by Dr. Ned Roberto on February 20, 2013, 1:00 PM to
5:00 PM at the New World Hotel. Call Salt and Light Ventures at 813-2703/32 or email
inquiry@saltandlight.ph to reserve your seat today.