Thai households spent 3% less on fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) in the first half of 2026, compared with the same period last year. Household debt sits at 87% of GDP, and consumer confidence — while off its post-pandemic lows — remains stuck near the neutral line. On paper, it reads like a market in retreat.
It isn't. It is a market in transition — and the brands that understand exactly how consumers
are changing their behaviour, rather than assuming they've simply stopped spending, are the
ones finding real growth. This year's Brand Footprint Awards make that fact visible: across
food, beverage, home care, personal care, dairy, skincare and makeup, a clear set of brands
grew by being chosen more, not by selling harder to the same shrinking base.
This report lays out the shopper shifts behind that market trend, the strategic logic that
explains it, and where this year's winners fit into the story.
In the report, you will find:
- The Shopper Behind the Slowdown – when growth is slowing down, not every household feels the pressures equally, brands should navigate different ways to each shoppers group
- Penetration is King — brands should be expending more effort on recruiting new buyers, not less.
- Quantifying What Consumers Feel -- translating brand equity, emotional resonance, and unconscious purchase decisions into figures that can be validated against actual purchase data.
- The 2026 Brand Footprint Winners -- Worldpanel's annual global ranking of the most-chosen FMCG brands in Thailand
Growth in 2026 did not come from extracting more value out of a shrinking base of loyal buyers. It came from being chosen by more households, more often, across more occasions than the year before.
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