“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.
SARI-SARI STORE benefit greatly whenever typhoons visit the Philippines, according to the latest insight from Filipino tech startup Packworks.
“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 PackworksChief Data Officer Andoy Montiel.
The company analyzed over a million monthly sales transactions from more than 300,000 sari-sari stores nationwide through its business intelligence platform, Sari IQ.
Packworks researched historical data from 2024 on sari-sari stores in some of the hardest-hit areas in the Philippines. Among those measured were Batangas from Region IV-A (Calabarzon), Cagayan and Isabela from Region II, and Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, and Catanduanes from Region V (Bicol Region).
27 PERCENT INCREASE IN GMV
Data reveals that sari-sari stores in these areas saw an overall 27 percent increase in average daily gross merchandise value (GMV) and a 50 percent rise in transactions a month after six typhoons hit between October 23 and November 18.
The year 2024 holds the record for the most decommissioned names in a single season since the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) began the current naming scheme in 2001.
These sales trends were driven mainly by the provinces located in the Bicol region, which saw a combined 50 percent spike during a typhoon and a further 26 percentincrease in average daily GMV after a typhoon hit.
The Bicol region, located on the southeastern part of Luzon, is one of the first major landmasses to be hit by typhoons entering the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) and often bears the brunt of a typhoon’s strength, creating an urgent need for supplies and driving increased demand for essential goods from sari-sari stores. Notably, Camarines Norte saw a staggering 105 percent increase in the average GMV after a typhoon hit.
CIGARETTES AND GIN TOP-SELLERS
Packworks’ data also examined buying habits in sari-sari stores during typhoons compared to before they hit in the analyzed areas. Findings reveal that cigarettes and gin were the top-selling items during typhoons, suggesting a continued demand for these discretionary goods even in times of crisis. Gin saw the highest GMV percentage change, with a median increase of 14 percent among seven affected provinces, while cigarettes followed with a 12 percent median increase among six provinces. Meanwhile, easy-to-eat items were also top purchases, with powdered coffee recording a midpoint GMV increase of 10 percent in six provinces and biscuits a 2 percent GMV median increase in seven provinces.
There were further shifts in the buying trends after a typhoon hit, as communities began their recovery, notably detergent became one of the top-selling items across five provinces with a 7 percent GMV share, causing a temporary spike in demand for cleaning supplies for typhoon-stricken households.
According to PAGASA, an average of 20 tropical cyclones enter PAR each year, with eight to nine typhoons making landfall in the country’s regions. The country is forecast to be visited by seven to 15 tropical cyclones from September 2025 to February 2026.
