Sari-sari Stores See Sales Spikes After Record-Breaking Typhoon Season in PHL in 2024 - Packworks Study

3 September 2025 Manila, Philippines — Amidst the damages brought by a record-breaking typhoon season in the Philippines, sari-sari stores exhibited high resilience and a signal source of supply for neighboring communities affected by storms.

This is the latest insight from Filipino tech startup Packworks.io, which 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, Cagayan and Isabela from Region II, and Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, and Catanduanes from Region V.

Data reveals that sari-sari stores in these areas saw an overall 27% increase in average daily gross merchandise value (GMV) and a 50% 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, with eight typhoon names due to the significant damage and destruction they caused.

These sales trends were driven mainly by the provinces located in the Bicol region, which saw a combined 50% spike during a typhoon and a further 26% increase 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% increase in the average GMV after a typhoon hit.

“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.

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% among seven affected provinces, while cigarettes followed with a 12% median increase among six provinces. Meanwhile, easy-to-eat items were also top purchases, with powdered coffee recording a midpoint GMV increase of 10% in six provinces and biscuits a 2% 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% GMV share, causing a temporary spike in demand for cleaning supplies for typhoon-stricken households. 

"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 realize a more agile supply chain logistics to better serve communities when they need it most," Packworks Chief Platform Officer Hubert Yap said.

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 brace for 7 to 15 tropical cyclones from September 2025 to February 2026.

For info about Sari IQ and to uncover more seasonal data trends in sari-sari stores, you may visit http://packworks.io/ or Packworks’ Facebook page to learn more.

3 Common Logistics Mistakes You Might Be Doing for Your Biz

The thrill of opening your dream business is exciting. But when it comes to operations, logistics might not always be top of mind for budding business owners. 

You might be focused on product development and sales, have limited resources, or find the entire concept of logistics too complex. However, its importance is often overstated. It encompasses many aspects, from storing materials and finished products and managing your stocks to fulfilling orders and moving products. 

If you’re a budding entrepreneur, here are three mistakes you might be making when it comes to logistics and how you can avoid them: 

Not Keeping Track of Your Inventory

Say you are a pet supply store owner and a specific dog toy suddenly became popular on social media. You see a steady increase in interest but run out of stocks over the weekend, so customers decide to check out other stores instead. 

If you sell essential goods, the window of opportunity to regain your customers may be short – they might come back next week to see if you’ve restocked. However, if you sell durable or non-essential items, a lost customer might not need to return for months or even years. 

On the other hand, overstocking can also be costly as excess stock incurs storage costs. Over time, slow-moving or non-moving stocks may have less value and can become an added burden.

Keeping stocks at a healthy level will help you plan your purchasing strategies and reduce costs. To help you ensure you have enough inventory on hand to meet customer demand and streamline your operations, consider tapping a fulfillment service that can handle multiple aspects of fulfillment from picking orders to packing them.

Not Optimizing Your Distribution

Imagine you're a small business owner selling handcrafted wallets and you have a bulk order from a couple who’s set to get married next week. Relying on less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping might seem economical, but you will have to wait for other shipments, potentially delaying your delivery. Your deliveries arrived last minute – but the damage has been done, and you have a bridezilla giving you negative reviews. 

It is essential to take time to optimize your distribution method or partner with a reliable delivery trucking service that has key distribution points.  

Not Anticipating Seasonal Surges

Planning for day-to-day operations is essential for any business, but anticipating how different occasions or seasons can impact your business takes careful planning. Failure to account for seasonal surges can lead to unpredictable demands, sales disruptions, and stockouts. 

Picture this: you’re a health supplement retailer. It’s only October but you know that as soon as the new year enters, most people are starting their wellness journey and there might be a demand for fitness-related products. Come January and you don’t have enough stocks of your popular supplements, you may have to deal with the aftermath of negative reviews by disappointed customers, which may also deter potential ones. 

You can maximize sales during peak seasons by proactively planning for seasonal surges even before they happen and having an effective restocking method that can help you plan ahead. 

A Reliable Partner to Level Up Your Logistics Game

The complexities of logistics can o ppften feel daunting. Instead of figuring out things on your own, you can partner with a reliable logistics solutions provider like Ninja Van Philippines, which offers a comprehensive suite of solutions to streamline your operations and help you avoid common logistical pitfalls. 

With Ninja Van Fulfillment service, you can keep your products safe and secure within state-of-the-art logistics and warehousing distribution centers until they’re ready for shipping. Say goodbye to manually processing orders and counting inventories, as Ninja Fulfillment can fulfill, pack and pick for your orders. 

Ninja Van’s equipment such as the Dimension Weighing and Scanning, automated rollers, conveyors, and multipurpose mobile scanners are designed to provide an accurate movement of your inventory, allowing you to access a Live View of your inventory with real-time updates. 

On the other hand, Ninja Restock provides flexibility for small businesses to do smaller, frequent restocks without the need to pay for an entire truck. Smaller load requirements and frequent drop-offs allow you to deliver nationwide, whether daily, weekly, or twice a week, while only paying for the space your products occupy in Ninja Van’s trucks.

Ninja Restock also leverages its established nationwide network, including key distribution points of 40 warehouses from Batanes to Tawi-Tawi. With its 100% coverage nationwide, you can be assured of reliable and timely deliveries to your distribution and retail partners. When coupled with thorough planning, this would be beneficial during seasonal fluctuations or the need to restock popular items right on time. 

In the competitive world of entrepreneurship, efficiency is key. By entrusting your logistics needs to a reliable logistics partner like Ninja Van, you can optimize your operations, avoid common pitfalls, and focus on what truly matters – building a successful and sustainable business.