Sari Sari stores are now stocking premium impulse products like ice cream and chocolates, as they aim to reach out to a larger pool of consumers.
Tech startup Packworks, through its mobile sari-sari store app and business intelligence tool Sari IQ, has found that sari-sari stores made significant sales of premium chocolates, especially for Swiss brand Toblerone and British confectionary brand Cadbury, for Valentine’s Day, based on data collected from its network of over 300,000 sari-sari stores nationwide.
Packworks is a startup company that provides a business-to-business (B2B) platform that is easy to use, has low bandwidth, and has a light footprint that will allow sari-sari store owners to become more efficient in managing their business.
According to Packworks’ data of sari-sari store sales transactions, Toblerone enjoyed nearly a 3,000% spike in sales between 13-15 February, compared to the same days in other months. Meanwhile, Cadbury saw approximately a 500% increase in sales for the same period.
Packworks Chief Data Officer Andoy Montiel said, “Our data showed that the conventional notion that sari-sari stores only sell cheap products might be outdated. These insights suggest that these neighborhood stores can also be the source of more premium products, exemplifying how versatile they can be, evolving to the needs of their communities and fulfilling specific consumer demands, capitalizing on every opportunity, even for occasional indulgences such as these. This adaptability makes these local businesses an integral part of our Filipino social fabric, acting as a true extension of the family pantry.”
Overall, Packworks recorded more than Pesos 60 million (US$1.04 million) in sales for the total chocolate category for the peak months of February.
This shows that sari-sari stores can be a source of premium items, not just the cheapest products, depending on the occasion and seasonal needs of their communities.
