ATNi releases the Philippines Retail Assessment 2025

November 27, 2025 – A new analysis by ATNi (Access to Nutrition initiative) highlights significant challenges consumer face in accessing a healthy and affordable diet through the Philippines’s rapidly expanding modern retail sector. As obesity rates rise and highly processed food consumption grows, the findings underscore the urgent need to make nutritious options more accessible and affordable.  

ATNi Philippines Retail Assessment, examines the nutrition-related policies and practices of the country’s three largest grocery retailers, Puregold, SM Supermarket, and Robinsons Supermarket, representing approximately 40% of the modern grocery retail market.  

While the informal retail sector still plays a critical role in supplying food for many Filipinos, modern retailers are rapidly expanding, doubling sales in the last 10 years with a projected doubling again in the next five years, as consumers demand more convenience.    

With this expansion retailers play an increasingly important role in shaping diets. This new report looks at: 

• How do retailers’ store brand products compare in terms of healthiness?
• How healthy are the items retailers included in their promotional flyers?
• Are retailers pricing strategies supporting access to healthier food?

The Philippines stands at a critical crossroad, with more highly processed and packed foods displacing tradition diets. Almost 40% of the adult population is overweight or obese. Urgent action is needed to ensure the growth in modern retail does not push consumers towards less healthy diets.  

Read the Retail Assessment
Read the full report here

Key Findings 

• The levels of processing of retailers’ private label products is high, and healthiness low:. The Philippines’ three largest retailers—SM Markets, Puregold, and Robinsons private label brand products are dominated by unhealthier products. Over 90% were classified as high in fat, sugar, salt and/or containing cosmetic additives (colors, flavors, non-nutritive sweeteners) that are markers of ultra-processing.  
• Promotions skew toward unhealthy foods: Current promotional strategies prioritise less healthy products, negatively impacting consumer choice. Only a small share of flyer space is allocated to healthy foods—20% at Robinsons and 12% at SM Supermarket—while unhealthy foods (such as refined grains, sweets, snacks and ice cream) dominated. 
• Affordability of healthier foods remains a major barrier: Healthier food baskets cost significantly more than less healthy ones—up 48% at SM Supermarket (USD 19.22 vs USD 13.03) and even up to 60% higher at Robinsons (USD 26.00 vs USD 16.19 per person per day) —the largest gap observed in the 6-country study. For many households, healthier diets purchased through modern retail remain financially out of reach. 

Looking Ahead

The Philippines is at a crossroads, with urgent action needed to reverse rising rates of overweight and obesity. Policymakers can and must support Filipinos in accessing healthier foods by finalizing an evidence based nutrient profile model. This model can support retailers in reformation to create healthier products and in rebalancing promotions toward healthier choice. Retailers, policy makers and other stakeholders must act now to ensure that Filipinos are supported to make healthy food choices.  

Why research insights and accountability matter  

When healthier food baskets from modern retailers cost approx. 55% more than less healthy ones—grocery retailers are clearly not prioritizing affordability for healthier options. With retailers shaping what consumers see and buy, accountability is essential to improving the country’s food environment. Retailers and policymakers must act urgently to make healthier choices the norm, making these more affordable, easier to find, and consistently prioritised across product portfolios and promotions. —Dr Brenda de Kok, Senior Researcher at ATNi.