Brands that deliver “more for less” win in the age of value-seeking consumers
In today’s volatile economy, consumers are sharpening their focus on value, not just price.
According to a new study by Deloitte, brands that succeed in offering “more value for the price” (MVP) are outperforming cheaper rivals and capturing market share. This shift presents both risks and opportunities for companies in Thailand and across the region.
Although Thailand’s annual inflation rate has continued to decline, recording a drop for the sixth consecutive month in September 2025, consumer perceptions of fair pricing and brand value have yet to recover. The disconnect between what people pay and the value they believe they receive continues to weigh on sentiment.
This mismatch amplifies a trend Deloitte calls “value seeking,” in which households regularly engage in cost-conscious behaviours across groceries, dining, travel, and retail.
The report finds that about 4 in 10 US consumers currently qualify as value seekers—i.e., having engaged in three or more deal-oriented or cost-cutting behaviours in a given month (for example, switching to store brands, waiting for deals, cooking at home more).
Though the data is US–centric, the patterns are echoed in Thailand: economic uncertainty, rising costs, and tighter household budgets create fertile ground for value sensitivity.
Contrary to common perception, value seekers are not confined to lower-income or younger consumers. Deloitte’s analysis finds they span generations and income groups, with nearly half of Baby Boomers and Gen Xers now falling into this category.
Among higher-income consumers, the trend is particularly striking: many cite broader economic anxieties, from housing and healthcare costs to retirement security, as reasons to curb discretionary spending.
In non-essential categories such as clothing, dining, leisure, and personal care, value seekers plan to spend noticeably less than their non-value-seeking peers.
Unsurprisingly, price perception remains a key factor in how consumers assess value across various sectors. Deloitte’s analysis shows that between 60% and 90% of perceived value can be explained by how consumers view price.
The remaining 10% to 40%, the true margin of differentiation, stems from other factors. This is where brands can stand out! Those that consistently deliver superior quality, service, trust, and experience often emerge as “MVP” brands, or brands offering more value for the price.
Consumers not only say they intend to buy more from MVP brands, but also follow through. Deloitte tracked credit-card data across 5 million cards worldwide and observed around 2 % shift in spending from lower-value to MVP brands in groceries, restaurants, and hotels over three years.
At this point, an important question can be raised: What do brands need to do to achieve the MVP status? Deloitte has identified a core set of drivers that distinguish MVPs consistently across sectors:
• Quality: Superior product consistency, reliability, and service quality.
• Attitude: Employee friendliness, helpfulness, responsiveness.
• Trust: Brands that are seen as capable, transparent, reliable, humane.
Apart from the three universal drivers. Some drivers of MVP companies’ success vary by subsector. Sector: For grocery, it is freshness or checkout speed; for apparel, fit and service; for hotels, ambience and food and beverage offerings; for restaurants, presentation and temperature.
Crucially, MVP brands also invest behind the scenes in capabilities (often technology-enabled) to deliver on these dimensions. In publicly traded firms, Deloitte found recurring strategic priorities: dynamic pricing systems, demand elasticity modelling, supply-chain flexibility, and consumer feedback loops.
While the Deloitte research centres on US consumers, its results are highly relevant in Asia, where inflation, supply-chain disruption, and global headwinds affect both companies and consumers. Here are strategic takeaways for Thai consumer business leaders:
1. Evaluate value: Use consumer transactional and feedback data to evaluate your brand's price and value perception against other companies in your industry. Are you "above the line" in offering more value for the price than your peers?
2. Assess drivers: Assess consumer perception of your brand on the industry's universal drivers of quality, attitude, and trust and the drivers specific to your sector.
3. Identify actions: Consider ways to add value that fit naturally with your brand identity and business model. Identify the improvements that could make the most significant difference for your brand and determine the investments needed to develop your desired capabilities.
4. Execute and adjust: Implement, actively monitor, and keep turning knobs until the results show up in your perception data, improve net purchase intent, and eventually drive additional sales.
Juntira Juntrachaichoat
Consumer Industry Leader and Audit & Assurance Partner
Deloitte Thailand
Pongbodin Amarinthnukrowh
Senior Consultant, Growth
Deloitte Thailand
