Study: 27% sales surge shows sari-sari stores' strength amid record typhoons

Sari-sari stores in the Philippines saw a 27% rise in average daily gross merchandise value (GMV) and a 50% increase in transactions after six powerful typhoons battered the country in late 2024, according to new data from Packworks.

The Filipino tech startup analysed over one million monthly transactions from more than 300,000 sari-sari stores nationwide through its business intelligence platform, Sari IQ. The research focused on provinces hit hardest by the storms, including Batangas, Cagayan, Isabela, Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, and Catanduanes.

“These data findings challenge the common belief that micro businesses are less resilient during bad weather conditions. Through presence and grit, our store owners have figured out how to persevere and even positively thrive amid natural calamities, creating real business value and opportunities while aiding in the community's recovery,” said Packworks chief data officer Andoy Montiel.

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The strongest gains came from the Bicol region, which typically absorbs the initial impact of storms entering the Philippine Area of Responsibility. Stores in the region saw a 50% spike in sales during typhoons and an additional 26% uplift after. Camarines Norte recorded the steepest increase, with GMV more than doubling at 105%.

Packworks’ analysis also offered a rare look into Filipino consumer behaviour under crisis. Despite the harsh conditions, discretionary goods retained demand: gin sales increased by a median of 14% across seven provinces, while cigarettes grew by 12% across six. Practical, ready-to-eat items also gained ground - powdered coffee sales rose 10% in six provinces, while biscuits recorded a 2% increase across seven.

Recovery periods brought a shift in demand. Detergent rose to the top-selling items list in five provinces, reflecting households’ need to clean up after floodwaters and storm debris.

“With the uncertainty of climate change, our data analytics asserts the stable role of sari-sari stores as a reliable, responsive, and vital part of the grassroots retail ecosystem during a crisis. True to the idiom: ‘when it rains it pours’ - understanding these just-in-time, on-the-ground realities is key to informing businesses and policymakers with a prepared plan and help realise a more agile supply chain logistics to better serve communities when they need it most,” said Packworks chief platform officer Hubert Yap.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) confirmed that 2024 set a record for the most decommissioned typhoon names in a single season - eight in total - due to the scale of destruction. The agency projects that between September 2025 and February 2026, the country will face between 7 and 15 tropical cyclones.

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