When Malaysia’s favourite street food nearly doubles in price, it’s a wake-up call for marketers navigating shrinking wallets, shifting consumption patterns, and rising value expectations
Malaysians are famously passionate about their food — and rightly so.
But when even a humble stick of satay more than doubles in price, it’s no longer just a culinary talking point.
It’s a consumer sentiment red flag waving in plain sight.
According to the Statistics Department’s latest Annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) 2024 report, prices of everyday foods like roti canai, nasi lemak, and satay have skyrocketed over the last 13 years — with satay jumping 113.7%, nasi lemak up 81.3%, and roti canai climbing 71.1%.
The price of cockles is a mind-boggling 400.3% spike.
That’s not just a kitchen-table issue. It’s a marketing boardroom issue.
Let’s be clear: inflation isn’t new.
But the psychological tipping point is.
When everyday comfort foods begin to feel like luxury items, consumer perception of value begins to mutate and marketers must recalibrate quickly or risk irrelevance.
The marketing community has long relied on lifestyle aspiration, convenience, and emotional resonance to sell brands.
In an environment where price hikes outpace wage growth and economic anxieties are increasingly felt at the mamak stall, consumers become far more value-conscious, discerning, and brand-loyal only to those that make every ringgit count.
It’s no coincidence that local and budget-friendly brands are gaining ground, while premium imports, unless backed by unmistakable utility or status, are struggling to justify their shelf space.
From fast food to fashion, Malaysians are curating their spending, rewarding brands that understand their real struggles — not ones that pretend RM15 for iced coffee is still reasonable.
For marketers, this means rethinking everything from price positioning and packaging to promo cadence and product sizing.
It means doubling down on authentic storytelling, value bundling, loyalty programmes that actually reward, and above all, transparency.
Because here’s the hard truth: if satay at RM1.09 a stick can spark public outcry, imagine what happens when your brand loses the plot on value.
Or worse — ignores it.
Even more telling, despite slower inflation growth in 2024 (1.8% vs 2.5% in 2023), the cumulative impact on essentials has not gone unnoticed.
The macro numbers may show cooling inflation, but the micro-experiences of consumers tell a different tale — one of quiet frustrations, recalibrated grocery baskets, and postponed indulgences.
The brands that win in this climate won’t be the loudest.
They’ll be the most in tune with everyday realities.
They’ll speak the language of empathy, offer price-point flexibility, and prove their worth not just in quality, but in understanding.
In a world where roti canai inflation has become the new normal, the marketing world must shed its tone-deaf gloss and lean into a new era of relatable relevance.
MARKETING Magazine is not responsible for the content of external sites.
he APPIES is an annual event that presents a rare opportunity for creative, media, digital and marketing agencies or brands to present their best campaigns to the industry.
This is the only event where Live Presentations meets Live Judging.
Similar to TED Talks, The APPIES is the chance for great presenters with outstanding work to show it off to some of the industry’s most important industry leaders.
This year’s winners will receive Gold, Silver or Bronze trophies for 21 categories, and 6 special Best of Best categories (red trophies) that require no submissions!
Campaign entries must have run between June 2024 to May 2025
