E-wallet Use Jumps 75% in Sari-Sari Stores, Fueling Digital Transformation - Packworks Report

24 October 2025 Manila, Philippines — Sari-sari stores are rapidly digitalizing their operations, driven by a significant increase in e-wallet use, according to a new report from Filipino tech startup Packworks.

The report used their internal transaction records as the starting point to conduct a direct survey of more than 2,000 sari-sari store owners within Packworks' nationwide network of 300,000+ stores from January to August 2025.

According to the data, half of the store owners surveyed reported a 75% increase in e-wallet usage in their store operations between January and August. The remaining respondents also saw substantial growth: 20% experienced a 100% increase in usage, another 20% saw a 50% increase, and 10% reported a 10% rise.

Store owners largely attribute this growing adoption to increased consumer demand, as their customers are also turning to e-wallets to buy goods, access funds, and settle bills at their local stores. 

“Maraming nang nagpapa-cash-in at cash-out at bumibili gamit ang mga e-wallet. Dahil dumarami, gusto namin masabayan ang pangangailangan nila. Nakakatulong din naman ito sa amin para magkaroon kami ng dagdag kita,” (A lot of our customers are making cash-in and cash-out transactions aside from buying products with e-wallets. Since more customers are using them, we want to keep up with their needs. It also helps us earn a little extra), said Marijane Rea, a sari-sari store owner from Laguna.

Store owners are using e-wallets for a variety of business operations. About 40% use the platforms for in-store payments, 30% for bill payments, and the remaining 30% for cash-in and cash-out transactions.

This digital shift is quickly becoming a critical source of revenue. Around 13% of store owners say their e-wallet earnings equal their revenue from physical goods. Among the rest of the respondents, e-wallets still contribute significantly: 66% say that about 20% of their revenues come from e-wallet use, and the remaining 21% say their e-wallet earnings account for 10% of their total revenue.

GCash and Maya are the widely used e-wallets, with 85% of store owners reporting using GCash for their business transactions and 15% using Maya.

“Bukod sa kita namin sa tindahan, nagkaroon kami ng dagdag kita sa paggamit sa mga e-wallet kasi meron kaming tubo na PHP 10 hanggang PHP 20 sa pag-cash-in at cash-out, o di kaya tuwing nagbabayad ng kuryente, tubig, o internet ang mga customer,” (Besides the income we earn from the store, we also get extra earnings from using e-wallets because we earn a profit of PHP 10 to PHP 20 from cash-in and cash-out transactions, or whenever customers pay for electricity, water, or internet bills), said Rachel Miguel, a store owner from Bacolod. 

To increase their transaction capacity and meet surging customer demand, sari-sari stores are strategically using up to five e-wallet accounts. According to the report, with each account having a monthly limit of PHP 100,000 to PHP 500,000, the combined monthly transaction capacity is up to PHP 3.5 million.

This trend supports the 30% of store owners’ interest in upgrading their e-wallets to business accounts to maintain a higher monthly limit of PHP 1 million.

Data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas indicated that approximately 57% of total retail transactions were cashless in 2024, highlighting the increasing use of digital payments for everyday purchases and financial transactions.

Packworks Chief Platform Officer Hubert Yap highlights that sari-sari stores are rapidly embracing digital tools such as e-wallets to diversify their services and grow their businesses.

“The surge in e-wallet use proves that sari-sari stores are rapidly evolving into vital digital hubs for their communities. Aside from simply selling 'tingi' physical items, they are now diversifying their product range, offering high-margin, value-added financial services and integrating digital tools such as our app to fundamentally improve their operations and function as near-frictionless nano-banks for the neighborhoods they serve. These findings show that sari-sari stores have been at the forefront leading this digital transformation at the grassroots level,” cited Yap, “And there's an urgent need to support these micro-entrepreneurs with the right fintech to ensure they can fully capitalize on this opportunity, as they often say in sari-stores, a peso saved is a peso earned!” 

For more studies and data trends insights in sari-sari stores, you may visit http://packworks.io/ or Packworks’ Facebook page to learn more.

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.

Sari-Sari Stores Grapple with Rising Prices Despite Declining Inflation - Packworks Study

27 June 2025 Manila, Philippines — Despite the nationwide decline in inflation, prices of various goods continue to rise in sari-sari stores across the Philippines.

New data from Filipino tech startup Packworks, which analyzed more than one million monthly sales transactions from its network of over 300,000 sari-sari stores nationwide through its mobile app and business intelligence tool, Sari IQ, tracked price movements across multiple product categories from 2023 to 2025. The analysis revealed that costs continue to climb despite a general decline in inflation, with some categories experiencing average price increases of at least 11% across various regions nationwide.

Key findings include significant retail price increases across the board for items like baby oil and baby powder. Notably, a 50-milliliter (ml) bottle of Johnson’s regular baby oil increased by 17%, from PHP 42.00 in 2023 to PHP 49.00 in 2025. Meanwhile, a 100-gram pack of Tender Care baby powder rose by 25%, from PHP 40.00 to PHP 50.00. These price hikes were observed in at least five regions: Ilocos Region (Region I), Cagayan Valley (Region II), Central Luzon (Region III), MIMAROPA (Region IV-B), and Bicol Region (Region V).

The study also found that 11 different SKUs within the confectionery and snacks category experienced at least a 13% increase in retail price. For example, the 50-gram pack of Lala Fish Crackers Classic, a popular and usually affordable sari-sari store snack, saw its price surge by 27%, rising from PHP 18.00 in 2023 to PHP 23.00 today. These spikes were recorded in stores based in Regions II and IV-B. Another popular item, the 150-gram pack of Fres candy, recorded a 16% price increase across all its variants, now at PHP 42.00, up from PHP 36.00 two years ago. The candy brand is now more expensive in at least nine regions, including Regions I, II, III, IV-B, V, VI (Western Visayas), VII (Central Visayas), and VIII (Eastern Visayas).

Packworks Chief Data Officer Andoy Montiel highlights the vulnerability of sari-sari stores, saying even a slight increase in their wholesale purchase price can directly affect end consumer pricing.

“Sari-sari stores are known for their thin profit margins. While they operate as viable businesses, they also serve as extended pantries and community hubs for their neighbors. Even a slight increase in wholesale prices reveals how vulnerable micro-retailers are to cost shifts upstream. This creates a ripple effect, especially in low-income communities where these stores are the primary source of daily essentials,” Montiel said.

The upward price trend stands in contrast to the declining national inflation rate. In 2023, the country's Year-on-Year (YoY) inflation rate was 6.0%, then significantly dropped to 3.2% the following year. It decreased further to 1.9% from January to May 2025, hitting a low of 1.3%, the lowest since November 2019.

Packworks' data also looked at the pricing trends with the country’s main staple commodity, rice. A five-kilogram pack of premium rice rose from PHP 235.00 (PHP 47.00/kg) in 2023 to PHP 295.00 (PHP 59.00/kg) in 2024, reflecting a PHP 60 increase. This aligned with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and Department of Agriculture (DA) reports, which cited rice inflation and retail prices ranging from PHP 50 to PHP 58 per kilo during the period.

From January to May 2025, the price slightly dropped by 3.39% to PHP 285.00 (PHP 58.00/kg), following the DA's imposition of a maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) on imported rice. However, it remains higher than the national average of PHP 50.54 per kilo for well-milled rice. The data also noted similar price variations in the repacked rice or tingi-tingi bigas bundles that are usually informal SKUs but are frequently sold in sari-sari stores at smaller increments to make purchases more affordable or abot-kaya for its neighborhood customers.

Packworks Chief Executive Officer Bing Tan emphasizes the importance of helping sari-sari stores thrive amidst economic shifts.

"Sari-sari stores are more than just retail outlets, but a lifeline for millions of Filipinos. Our latest analysis reveals gaps between national macroeconomic reports and the grassroots micro-retail reality. These insights can act as early indicators to inform distribution chains and policymakers of where support and aid are most needed. It is our hope that by sharing this timely data, we will be able to shed a brighter light on the challenges in practical pricing our store owners face in serving their communities." 

Sari-sari stores serve as the primary source of daily essentials for around 94% of Filipinos.

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