Gen Z favours Thai products while working adults turn away, survey shows

Poonpong Naiyanapakorn, Director-General of the Trade Policy and Strategy Office (TPSO), revealed the findings of a nationwide survey conducted in August 2025 involving 5,467 respondents. The study examined Thai consumers’ preferences for domestic products across categories.

The survey showed that Thai products remain popular overall, particularly in the food and beverage sector, which retained the highest level of consumer preference. Meanwhile, beauty and fashion items are gaining increasing traction, especially among younger generations, with strong potential for further growth in the years ahead.

Thai product preferences remain strong

In general, most Thais still prefer to buy domestic products, with the top categories being:

• Food and beverages: 42.99%
• Fashion and accessories: 15.85%
• Household goods and décor: 14.64%
• Health products: 10.68%
• Beauty and personal care: 9.90%
• Electrical appliances and electronics: 7.25%

By age group, consumers under 29 show the strongest preference for beauty and personal care, while those aged 30 and above lean more towards fashion, accessories, and health products.

Income levels also influence purchasing behaviour. Respondents earning over 50,001 baht a month favour household goods and home décor at a higher rate than other groups.

Regionally, consumer tastes vary. Northerners tend to buy more electronics and health products, while Bangkok and surrounding provinces show stronger demand for accessories and home décor. 

As for the reasons behind choosing Thai products, quality (24.55%) and affordability (24.12%) were the top drivers, followed by convenience (22.06%). 

However, the priorities differ by product type. Electronics buyers emphasise quality, household and accessory shoppers weigh both quality and convenience, while beauty and personal care buyers prioritise accessibility.

Income groups also show distinct motivations. High-income earners focus on quality and brand credibility, middle-income consumers place value on quality and aesthetics, and lower-income groups prioritise price and convenience.

Shopping channels reveal shifting consumer behaviour

Thai consumers most frequently purchase local products through traditional retail stores, accounting for 31.06% of preferences. This is followed by department stores—including in-mall retailers, pop-up shops, and promotional events—at 23.69%, and online platforms such as Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Shop at 17.29%.

Breaking down by age, consumers under 20 and students are most inclined towards online purchases, especially direct-from-producer buying. This highlights the growing potential of digital channels, which are likely to play a greater role in the future. 

Meanwhile, traditional retailers and community shops remain significant, particularly for farmers and the elderly, who rely on these outlets. By income group, high earners favour department stores and online platforms over other channels.

Looking ahead to the second half of 2025, overall demand for Thai products is expected to remain stable at 61.03%. However, 26.45% of respondents indicated they are likely to reduce purchases of Thai goods—outweighing the 11.06% who plan to buy more, with 1.46% undecided. 

The product categories most likely to see declining demand include health products, electronics and appliances, and household goods and décor, a trend possibly linked to recent economic pressures.

Younger Thais buy more local products, while older groups cut back

Thai products with rising demand include beauty and personal care items, as well as fashion and accessories. 

By age, younger consumers show a growing tendency to buy more Thai products, while older groups are increasingly buying less. This aligns with occupation-based findings: retirees and pensioners are most likely to reduce consumption, while students are the most likely to increase it.

As for improvements expected in Thai products, affordability ranked highest (26.88%), followed closely by product quality (26.34%) and credibility (17.65%). These priorities were consistent across all consumer groups.

Those not purchasing Thai products—or those intending to reduce their purchases—highlighted the need for stronger marketing, advertising, and greater product variety. By contrast, consumers intending to buy more Thai goods placed greater emphasis on improved product variety, design, and packaging.

Environmental friendliness is emerging as a key expectation among younger consumers, signalling a growing priority for future product development. 

Regionally, respondents outside Bangkok and its surrounding areas stressed the need for better marketing, advertising, and broader product ranges. This may reflect more limited options and accessibility in provincial markets.

Thai beauty brands poised for growth amid challenges

Poonpong concluded that while food and beverages remain the most popular Thai products, the survey highlights strong growth potential in emerging categories. Beauty and fashion products, in particular, are gaining traction among younger consumers who place greater emphasis on image and self-care. 

These categories could soon develop into mainstream markets and play a major role in the country’s retail landscape, he said.

At the same time, the survey points to challenges. Declining support for Thai products among some groups may be influenced by external pressures such as the economic slowdown and intensifying trade competition, as well as internal constraints like product quality, pricing, and limited variety. These are issues that require close monitoring and further study.

For Thai products to gain lasting consumer confidence and become a mainstream choice, they must enhance competitiveness and build trust. Such improvements would strengthen domestic businesses and help establish a more resilient foundation for the local economy.

The Commerce Ministry continues to roll out measures to support this goal, including the campaign to encourage local consumption, the development and promotion of product certification such as geographical indication (GI) labels, and import control measures against cheap foreign goods that threaten local competitiveness. 

The ministry is also studying new avenues for product development to ensure Thai products achieve sustainable and long-term growth.