TIMES ARE HARD SO CONSUMERS HAVE to be more selective and thoughtful in making their purchases this holiday season.

We asked the Shopwise hypermarket chain to offer some advice on how consumers can get the most out of what we expect will be limited budgets this Christmas and New Year.

Here are some suggestions from them:

Be an informed shopper. Do competitive price checks of establishments that are accessible to you. Read advertisements, circulars, flyers and signage to find the best buys or items on promotion.

Shop in reputable establishments to be assured of value for money. A low price does not necessarily mean a good bargain. (Take Christmas lights, for instance. You can probably get two or three strands in Divisoria for the price you would pay in the mall. But will those lights be safe? Will they at least last until the end of the Christmas season? Sometimes the price difference is not simply a matter of location, i.e. rents are cheaper in Divisoria compared to malls. The price difference may be owing to the fact that the Christmas lights you buy in the mall will have the safety seal of the Department of Trade and Industry.) You may be paying a higher price because you are getting better quality goods. The higher price could also mean better customer service, more comfortable and convenient shopping, and add-ons like warranty. (Some establishments will even offer to take care of sending your purchase to the service center to save you the trouble of going there yourself, that is if the store is more accessible to you.)

Plan grocery trips to save on gas or transportation costs. You may save a few pesos by shopping in a cheaper establishment but it may cost more to get there so you may not save much after all. (Personally, I prefer to shop in places where I have more space to just walk around and make my selections leisurely, instead of fighting off a horde of people many of whom are really taking advantage of the huge crowds to pick other people?s pockets or purses.)

Try a store?s in-house/private label brands. Establishments try to make the quality of their own labels comparable to leading brands while prices are about 20 percent lower. The products are cheaper because there are no advertising, distribution and branding expenses. In Europe, about 60 percent of supermarket sales already come from private labels.

Join a store?s loyalty program. Shopwise?s Wise Card, for instance, entitles shoppers to a one percent rebate on what they spend, with double points every first Wednesday of the month. Occasional promotions multiply points earned from purchases five or ten times.

Buy in bulk or in bigger sizes items that are used regularly like cooking oil, condiments, laundry soap, etc. But make sure the larger packages really mean lower unit cost (some bigger packages do not really mean a significant saving and may even be wasteful if the product is perishable). Review the average shelf life of the products you buy, the shelf space you have at home, and the use of each product (how often or how much of it you will use) to help you decide which size to buy to avoid wastage. Non-regular items are better bought in small quantities. Fresh produce and dairy products should be bought when needed due to their limited shelf lives.

Wet vs. super market

Shopwise says there are advantages to going to the supermarket rather than the palengke.

Supermarkets offer a wider range of products compared to wet markets.

While prices in supermarkets may be slightly higher, you are assured of your personal safety and quality of the products. Supermarkets are also more comfortable as they are air-conditioned.

Almost everything you need can be found in supermarkets.

By shopping for fresh produce in the morning, you can get items as fresh as the ones you buy in wet markets.

Send letters to The Consumer, Lifestyle Section, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 1098 Chino Roces Ave. cor. Mascardo and Yague Sts., 1204 Makati City; fax 8974793/94; or e-mail lbolido@inquirer.com.ph.