KUALA LUMPUR, April 9 -- When prices go up, will you stop ordering food deliveries first or stop eating outside at restaurants first?

In research unit Rakuten Insight's latest monthly survey results on Malaysian consumers, the most popular choice for what they would cut down on first is dining out and cafes.

"When Malaysians have to choose between sacrificing the restaurant or the delivery app, they are consistently choosing to sacrifice the restaurant," the research data arm of Rakuten Group said about its Malaysia Cost Pressure Pulse's (MCPP) April 6 to April 8 survey results.

The survey showed that those who would reduce spending on meals outside increased from 52.9 per cent in March to 61.6 per cent in April (which is the category ...