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BFJ
102,2

A look at fastfood competition

in the Philippines
Chu-Mei Liu

122

Chihlee College of Business, Panchiao City, Taipei Hsien, Taiwan, ROC

Kuang-Jung Chen

Department of International Trade, Van Nung Institute of Technology,

Chung-Li, Taiwan, ROC
Keywords Fast-food restaurants, Product mix
Abstract The study tried to develop a product-market structure of the fast-food restaurants in
the Philippines. Using the concept of hierarchical clustering based on substitution-in-use, the
influence of three categories of situational influence were used to modify the original choicemarket mix relationship at every clustering stage. Changes in the importance of the individual
components of the product-service mix served as the basis of the link-up among competing fastfood restaurants.

British Food Journal,

Vol. 102 No. 2, 2000, pp. 122-133.
# MCB University Press, 0007-070X

Restaurants are part of an industry system, providing services to people away

from home that becomes progressively more general and broader as it moves
from restaurants to food services to hospitality industry. It is towards this
sophistication of man's basic needs and his complex life that fast-food
restaurants emerged.
Fast-food restaurants are a breakthrough from the traditional catering
methods and standards. They have resulted in more sophisticated operations
and styles for services. They have provided flexibility and comfort with
reasonable prices. Their services are within the level that can satisfy customers
with various tastes, drives, and upbringing. Customer satisfaction has been one
of the measurable objectives of other service-oriented establishments. It is to
the satisfaction of the customer's needs that the business strives. Without the
support of customers and satisfaction of their wants, the existences of fast-food
restaurants would be in jeopardy. A satisfied customer would always go back
to the same fast-food establishment where his wants and preferences were not
merely met but also complemented (Reyes, 1996). The satisfaction of customer
preferences, in effect, constitutes the image of the particular fast-food
restaurant and plays an important role in the business industry.
The Philippine Star (1997) described the Filipinos as food lovers. They enjoy
tasty meals. They go to restaurants serving smorgasbords in a luncheon or
supper buffet offering a variety of foods and dishes. These restaurants, most
especially, attract students. They are the group of people that regularly
patronize fast-food restaurants, which accounts for the sudden boom in the
fast-food industry in the Philippines.
During the past few years, the fast-food industry in the Philippines achieved
a tremendous growth, not only in Metro Manila, but also in all other areas of the
country. This situation makes the fast-food industry in the Philippines a

thriving ground of intense competition among the players in the industry. Prior
and during the current financial crisis that hit the Asian region, patronage of
fast-food establishments continues to grow while there is perceived slow down
in other business sectors (HRAP, 1998). Foreign-based fast-food chains joined
the already tight roster of fast-food establishments operating in the country.
How does the competitive structure of the industry now appear?
Introduction
Fast-food restaurants have their own benefits, which their customers perceive.
These perceived benefits are the primary reasons why they are patronized.
Consumers rate these benefits or the values that they see in the product.
Detailed information on the preferences of these consumers is revealed through
representative samples of how they rate the importance of such benefits.
Certainly, most people would like as many benefits as possible. However, the
relative importance they attach to individual benefits can differ significantly
and these can be used as effective barometers in segmenting the markets.
Astute marketers have long realized that in addition to brand image, their
company image can strongly influence consumer's behavior toward their
enterprise and its products (Kasulis and Lusch, 1981). A company's image is
the perception consumers have of its character as a result of their experience
with it and their knowledge of and beliefs about it. Similarly, consumer
patronage of a particular retail store can also be significantly influenced by
their perception of its image or personality. Store image may be defined as the
way in which the store is defined in the shopper's mind, partly by its functional
qualities and partly by an aura of psychological attributes (Pessemier, 1980).
This definition implies that the fast-food restaurant image could be derived
from the so-called functional attributes of price, convenience, and selection of
menu. Variables such as architecture, interior design and advertising could
influence a restaurant's image as well. Therefore, consumers can develop
images of fast-food restaurants regardless of whether management consciously
attempts to project a specific image or not. For this reason, it is important for
management to understand their image, as consumers perceive it. If the
consumers' criteria for selecting a particular restaurant from among other
competitors can also be identified, then management can determine how the
restaurant is evaluated or measured.
Markets consist of various buyers, and buyers differ in one or more respects.
They may differ in their wants, resources, geographical locations, buying
attitudes, lifestyles, and buying practices. Any of these variables can be used to
segment a market. Market segmentation reveals the potential market
opportunities facing the establishment. The establishment now has to evaluate
the various segments and decide on which segment or segments to serve. The
question of how many segments to serve can also be addressed, either to
increase market share or develop niches, as a competitive strategy. The
establishment, in evaluating different market segments, must look at factors

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such as segment size and growth, segment structural attractiveness, and

company objectives and resources. Within each segment, the establishment
needs to develop a product-positioning strategy.
According to Kotler (1994), positioning is the act of designing the company's
offering and image so that it occupies a distinct and valued place in the target
customer's mind. The management of a fast-food establishment therefore,
needs to describe to his customers how his store differs from current and
potential competitors. Using his store attributes, he can project an image or
personality that directly influences the consumer patronage of the store. It is
then ultimately the consumer's perception of all the competing outfits that will
decide or establish the mode of direct or indirect competition among industry
participants. This picture is captured in the product-market structure. It is the
purpose of this study to establish the current product-market picture of the
Philippine fast-food industry and determine the forces that are responsible for
the structural linkages.
Related literature
Chase (1988) describes a restaurant as a high contact service enterprise with the
following characteristics:
.
The service product is multidimensional and hence its quality is in the
eyes of the beholder.
.
The direct worker is part of the service product.
.
Demand for the service is often instantaneous and hence cannot be
stored.
.
Because the product is generally customer initiated, an optimal balance
between service system demand and resources is difficult to achieve.
.
Changes in the capacity of the system affect the nature of the service
product.
.
The production schedule has a direct, personal effect on the consumer.
.
Only part of the service can be kept in inventory.
.
Verbal skills and knowledge of policy are usually required of the service
worker.
.
Wage payment must usually be related to labor hours spent rather than
output.
.
It is assumed that service system capacity is at its long run level when
the system first opens.
.
A service system malfunction will have an immediate, direct effect on
the customer.
Because of the multidimensional nature of restaurant service, the application of
the hospitality marketing mix of Renaghan (1981) appears to be imperative.
The mix contains three major sub-mixes of clearly delineated but interrelated

elements. The Product-Service Mix the combination of the tangible and

intangible offerings of the establishment presented as its product aimed at
satisfying the needs of the target market. This mix highlights the fact that
consumers do not perceive the product and service elements separately but as a
unified whole. The Presentation Mix is an umbrella concept covering the
elements under the firm's control that act in concert to make the total productservice offering more tangible to the consumer. In effect, management
combines tangibles to serve as surrogates of the intangible components of the
offering. It is through the presentation mix that the firm tries to differentiate its
offering from those of its competitors. The Communication Mix include all
the communications between the firm and the target market. External
communication is intended to persuade the consumer to use the establishment.
It is usually applied when the consumer is not actually in the establishment.
Internal communications are used when the consumer is already within the
establishment and actually consuming the product.
Mazursky and Jacoby (1986) pointed out that the various determinants of
store choice are intimately related to a store image that influences its
attracting power. Demographic characteristics, life-style characteristics, and
other consumer characteristics lead to general opinions and activities
concerning shopping and search behavior. These consumer characteristics
also affect the importance which they place on store attributes as they
evaluate their alternatives. The consumer's store attitudes then influences
store choice and ultimately, the product and brand-choice decision.
Satisfaction, in the process, leads to reinforcement in the store's image, which
increases the likelihood of continued patronage and greater store loyalty
(Hawkins et al., 1992).
Seldom do you hear customers categorically stating that the store's physical
plant was the basis of their choice. Yet studies show that food-service
customers begin to formulate opinions about a food-service operation long
before they sample the food and beverage items. While they are still outside the
physical confines of the operation, opinions are being formulated about the
exterior architecture and landscaping. These initial opinions are carried inside
once the customer has entered. They are either dispelled or reinforced by the
interior design and lighting.
All internal and external factors combine to provide the customer with a
``total experience''. If any part of this experience is not up to the expectations of
the customer, the customer may not return, and may tell their friends about
their poor experiences (National Restaurant Association (NRA) 1994).
In the Philippines, especially in urban centers, fast-food restaurants are
often clustered along one street. Clustering is commonly explained by factors
such as easy place association and attraction. Customers are willing to travel
a distance to locate the right offering and once they arrive in the locale,
clustering gives them in-situ options to choose from. Availability of options
reduces the cost of making the wrong decision, a benefit they traded for the
cost of travel. NRA also found that consumers do not go far out of their way to

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find the right fast-food restaurant. It appears that the use of a fast-food
restaurant is attached to the urgency of the need for food, either physiological
or social (NRA 1994).
Saavedra (1983) cited various menus being offered by fast food restaurants
as the main reason, aside from excellent service and ambience, that make one's
meal truly worthwhile.
Kotler (1994) opines that atmospherics affect purchase behavior by acting as
an attention-getting, message-creating, or emotion-creating medium.
Understanding a buyer's needs and buying behavior is better achieved by
knowing the reasons why people dine outside the home. Records of the
Philippine Hotel and Restaurant Association indicate that Filipinos commonly
cite the following reasons for dining outside their home.
.
A treat.
.
Business requires it.
.
Celebrate special occasions.
.
Change of pace.
.
Convenient.
.
Enjoy good food.
.
For food not usually available at home.
.
Good way to entertain guest.
.
Good way to relax.
.
Nobody has to cook or clean up.
.
Prices are reasonable.
.
Spouse requests to eat out.
.
Whole family enjoys themselves.
Lovelock (1983) cited that the restaurant's nature of service delivery is
considered as a discrete transaction. The marketers tend to be less informed
about who their customers are and what use each customer makes of the
service. The extent to which service characteristics are customized is high.
However, the extent to which customer-contact personnel exercise judgment in
meeting an individual customer's needs is low. The extent of demand
fluctuation over time is wide and peak demand regularly exceeds capacity. To
complicate things further, the purchase and consumption situation exerts an
influence on consumer decision making.
Belk (1974) identified five groups of situational influences:
(1) Physical surroundings the most readily apparent features of a
situation. These features include geographical and institutional location,
decor, sounds, aromas, lighting, weather, and visible configurations of
merchandise or the material surrounding the stimulus object.

(2) Social surroundings provide additional depth to a description. Other

persons present, their characteristics and their apparent roles.
(3) Temporal perspective dimension of situation, which may be specified
in units ranging from time of day to season of the year.
(4) Task definition the feature that includes an intent or requirement to
select, shop for/or obtain information about a general or specific
purchase.
(5) Antecedent states the momentary moods or momentary conditions.
Fast-food restaurants and customers do not exist in a vacuum but are
embedded in an environment. Studies found evidence indicating that the
intended or anticipated use of the product, the functions to be served, the
application/consumption context, or in general the usage situation, influence
the choice among products/brands and, consequently, substitutability. It is to
this premise that this study concerned itself in the establishment of a
competitive picture of the fast-food restaurants operating in Metro-Manila.
Methodology
This study capitalized on the approach of Srivastava et al. (1981, 1984) in
establishing the product-market structure of financial services. A slight
modification of the analysis, however, is necessary in order to capture the
differences of the influence of Belk's situational influences.
In the estimation of the beta coefficient of the different independent variables
(attributes and features of the fast-food restaurant) used to influence fast-food
restaurant choice, stage-wise multiple regression was used. Initially, choice was
regressed with the situational variables. Step-wise regression was done in order
to determine the strength or degree of influence of the different groups of
situational influences and only those significant will be utilized in the stagewise regression stage.
Having established the sequence of the introduction of the situational
variables, the development of the product-market structure was undertaken.
The initial regression run was executed using simultaneously only the ten
variables used to describe the fast-food restaurant product-service mix, namely:
fast and quick service; good value for money; food taste/flavor; variety of food
offerings; music and noise level; attractive decor; atmosphere and ambience;
promotional gimmicks and items; friendly and pleasant staff, and cleanliness
and neatness. It must be noted that it is through these variables that the
competing firms try to differentiate their offerings to the consumers. It is
therefore expected that each fast-food restaurant will endeavor to present a
unique image or distinctive profile. In order to capture this concept a separate
regression run was done for each restaurant.
Temporal variables (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) were then included in the
evaluation of the choice of each restaurant. Hierarchical clustering of the

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restaurant was done using the beta coefficients as a basis for the clustering
procedure. The first restaurants joined by the clustering procedure were treated
as a single unit in the succeeding step.
Social surrounding variables (alone, with friends, with clients) were included
in the next regression analysis of the individual restaurants, including the
joined firms in the previous stage, now taken as a single restaurant. Again,
with the beta coefficients as a basis, another hierarchical clustering was
undertaken. The foregoing steps were repeated in the inclusion of task
definitional (socialization, business, celebration) variables.
The data used in the forgoing analysis was generated through a survey
using flash cards. A total of 1,365 respondents were randomly selected in
different fast-food restaurants situated in Metro Manila using the list taken
from the Department of Trade and Industry and Hotel and Restaurant
Association of the Philippines as reference.
The importance of the product-service mix variables in the choice of fastfood restaurants was elicited by the first set of cards shown to the respondents.
In the second set of cards, the respondents were requested to identify (write) at
least five fast-food restaurants they usually patronize. Thereafter, these cards
were used in assessing choice when a particular situation was present. The
respondents were requested to arrange the cards in descending priority when a
situation was given. A total of 156 fast-food restaurants were identified. In the
final analysis, however, only 26 brand names were used. Fast-food restaurants
that did not meet the necessary number (50) needed in the regression analysis
were dropped from the list. Likewise, similar franchised brand names located in
different places were consolidated as one brand.
Results
Individual regression was done on each destination and the coefficient served
as inputs in the hierarchical cluster analysis undertaken using average
linkage between groups as criteria. Agglomeration normally results in the
reduction of the amount of variation explained by a model. To determine the
appropriate tradeoff level, regression analysis was done for each stage of
agglomeration. The fast-food restaurants appearing in the Cluster 2 column
or Table I were not included in the analysis for the specific stage. Estimated
R-squared values were transformed into unexplained variances and plotted to
visualize the location of the ``elbow'' point (Hair et al., 1995). The elbow
occurred at nine clusters, equivalent to the 17th stage of the agglomeration
process (Figure 1).
At the cut-off point, six fast-food restaurants remain unattached and the
other three clusters were generated as results of the tie-up of several fast-food
restaurants. Cluster 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 9, contain only one fast-food restaurant and
all of them are franchised brands and have branches inside shopping malls. It
appears that loyal customers patronize these fast-food restaurants. The
importance attached by the customers to fast and quick service, music and
noise level, attractive decor, atmosphere and ambience, promotional gimmicks

Stage

Clusters combined
Cluster 1* Cluster 2*

Coefficient

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25

Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand

120.1679
152.1355
431.7078
1,003.4598
1,460.0529
2,961.1577
3,436.3215
3,751.3496
4,470.4849
6,146.7056
6,155.7632
8,440.8389
8,930.8828
10,430.2549
14,278.8408
14,600.7510
15,968.3545
17,593.6543
20,504.8047
21,242.9102
27,486.2246
32,641.5996
44,443.8281
54,835.1797
88,964.8516

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25

Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25

Stage cluster first appears

Cluster 1
Cluster 2 Next stage
0
0
0
0
4
5
0
0
7
0
0
10
0
12
14
0
9
15
0
18
20
21
22
0
24

0
0
1
0
3
0
0
2
0
6
0
0
11
13
8
0
0
0
17
16
0
19
0
0
23

3
8
5
5
6
10
9
15
17
12
13
14
14
15
18
20
19
20
22
21
22
23
25
25
0

Notes: * For consistency actual names are disguised because of the request of the firms

A look at
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129

Table I.
Agglomeration
schedule using average
linkage (between
groups)

Elbow point
0.4

1-R2

0.3
0.2
0.1
0
1

11

13 15 17 19 21 23 25
Number of Clusters

and items, friendly and pleasant staff, and cleanliness and neatness changed in
various directions depending on the situational context that entered the model.
However, good value for money, food taste/flavor and variety of food offerings
practically remain unchanged. It does appear that the perception of the
customers relative to these three attributes provides a unique identity for the
franchised group of fast-food restaurant. This perception remains unchanged
regardless of the situation context present.

Figure 1.

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Cluster 7 consists of fast-food restaurants under the sub-grouping called

``carenderias'' popularly known as ``turo-turo''. During the introduction of the
temporal situation variable Brands 24, 25, 11, 4, 26 and 10 joined together
forming subgroup A. Brands 16 and 17 were separately linked forming subgroup B. In the succeeding clustering iteration, Brand 2 was linked to subgroup A and Brand 6 linked up with sub-group B. Sub-group C was generated
through the link-up of Brands 9 and 14. During the next clustering iteration,
Brand 15 linked up with sub-group A, Brand 7 joined subgroup C. When social
surroundings were included in the modeling process, all the three sub-groups
were linked as one cluster.
Fast and quick service, food taste/flavor, variety of food offerings, and
friendly and pleasant staff are the variables responsible for the joining of the
carenderias into subgroups. Changes in the coefficients relative to variety of
the food offerings cause the delay in the link-up of the other brands. And
value of money was responsible for the final link-up of the subgroups to form
Cluster 7.
Another point worth mentioning regarding the initial grouping of the fastfood restaurant in sub-groups A and B is the fact that all start serving their
customers at breakfast time. Furthermore, the firms in subgroup A during the
initial formation are near each other. This tends to show that location and time
of operation appear to be factors to reckon with.
Brands 5, 22, 12 and 20 are fast-food restaurants that operate on a 24-hour
basis. They are all situated in areas near hospitals or at junctions of main
roads. Basically, their cleanliness and neatness, music and noise level,
attractive decor, atmosphere and ambience, and friendly and pleasant staff
stand out as variables responsible for the link-up.
Brand 8 and 21 are fast-food restaurants situated in a sort of mobile-type
venue. Brand 21 operates on a 24-hour basis. Cleanliness and neatness and
friendly and pleasant staff are the variables that linked them up and at the
same time separates them from the carenderias.
Overall, social surroundings greatly affected the importance of good value
for money, food taste/flavor, variety of food offerings, music and noise level,
attractive decor, atmosphere and ambience, friendly and pleasant staff, and
cleanliness and neatness. The common tendency is an increase in the
importance of these variables as the situation changes from alone, to with
friends and highest if with clients.
With the inclusion of task definition in the model, minimal increase in the
importance of the following variables was registered: food taste/flavor, variety
of food offerings, music and noise level, attractive decor, atmosphere and
ambience, friendly and pleasant staff, and cleanliness and neatness. Speed of
service is also affected.
The final product-market structure of the fast-food restaurant using the
rescaled distance cluster combine is presented in Figure 2. As one moves from
the left side of the figure to the right, the scales show that the distance between

A look at
fastfood
competition

Brand 24
Brand 25
Brand 11

131

Brand 4
Brand 26
Brand 10
Brand 2
Brand 15
Brand 9
Brand 14
Brand 7
Brand 16
Brand 17
Brand 6
Brand 13
Brand 8
Brand 21
Brand 23
Brand 5
Brand 22
Brand 12
Brand 20
Brand 3
Brand 18
Brand 1
Brand 19

Elbow point

the clusters increases and the degree of substitution between groups becomes
weaker. The number of fast-food restaurants in a cluster however also
increases, making direct competition among these restaurants within the
cluster tighter.

Figure 2.
Product-market
structure of Philippine
fast-food restaurant

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Conclusion and managerial implications

The structure established shows the relative picture of the competitive
situation of the fast-food restaurants in Metro Manila, Philippines. The
apparent easy start-up of carenderias generated the tightness of the
competition in this sub-group of fast-food restaurants. Since the franchised
brands are normally supported financially, loyalty and apparent service to a
particular niche enhance their ability to create good images that result in a
strong customer loyalty.
Although a product market structure was successfully established, the use
of approaches that can capture the interactions among situation, person, and
product factors, might produce an improved picture. This is particularly so
because it is possible that a simultaneous situation could occur or multiple uses
of the fast-food restaurant can also happen. As such, it might be necessary to
relax the one membership rule and allow the presence of overlapping clusters.
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Further reading
Anonuevo, M.V.E. (1984), Principles of Marketing Management, National Book Store, Manila.
Backus, H. (1977), Designing Restaurant Interiors: A Guide for Food Service Operators, LebharFriedman, New York, NY.
Dickson, P. (1982), ``Person-situation: segmentation's missing link'', Journal of Marketing, Fall.
Dillion, W.R., Madden, T.J. and Firtle, N.H. (1984), Marketing Research in Marketing
Environment, Times Mirrow/Mosby College Publishing, Richard D. Irwin, Homewood, IL.
Firnstahl, T.W. (1989), ``My employees are my service guarantee'', Harvard Business Review, July
and August.
George, W.R. (1977), ``The retailing of services a challenging future'', Journal of Retailing, Fall.
Heskett, J.L. (1987), ``Lesson in the service sector'', Harvard Business Review, March-April.
Kotler, P. (1974), ``Atmospherics as a marketing tool'', Journal of Retailing, Winter.
Lambert, C. (1981), ``Environmental design: the food-service manager's role'', The Cornell Hotel
and Restaurant Quarterly, May.
Leigh, J.H. and Martin, C.K. Jr (1981), ``A review of situational influence paradigms and research'',
in Enis, B. and Roering, K. (Eds), Review of Marketing, American Marketing Association,
Chicago, IL.
Milliman, R.E. (1986), ``Influence of background music on the behavior of restaurant patrons'',
Journal of Consumer Research, September.
Philippine Agribusiness and Food Market (1996), Green Pages Publishing Corporation.
Schmenner, R.W. (1986), ``How can service businesses survive and prosper?'', Sloan Management
Review, Spring.
Surprenant, C.F. and Solomon, M.R. (1987), ``Predictability and personalization in the service
encounter'', Journal of Marketing, April.

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