NEARLY 60 PCT OF TAIWAN'S CONSUMERS FAVOR HYPERMARKETS: POLL.

TAIPEI, March 3 Asia Pulse - Soaring consumer prices have intensified price consciousness in Taiwan, as the low-priced hypermarkets have become the first choice of nearly 60 per cent of consumers purchasing daily supplies, a recent poll indicated.

Taiwan's chain hypermarkets, including Carrefour and RT-Mart, are gaining more ground thanks to the rising consumer prices that intensify the low-price advantage they already enjoy.

The advantage is due to the mass purchasing of supplies, better distribution system, richer human resources and larger storage, said industry analysts.

Carrefour and RT-Mart, Taiwan's two largest hypermarkets with 47 and 24 stores respectively, both reported substantial year-on-year revenue growth during the shopping season of Chinese New Year in 2008.

RT-Mart also reported that after consumer prices began to rise last year, their number of customers grew 3 per cent.

Taiwan's consumer price index in 2007 showed a 1.8 per cent increase, compared with 2006's 0.6 per cent. The price jumped another 3 per cent only in January this year, a possible result of international crude oil prices straddling US$100 per barrel in the past two months.

Such a shift of consumer behavior is exemplified in a recent survey of ...