MANILA, Philippines – Sales of sari-sari stores in the Philippines surged 90% in March amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, tech startup Packworks found.

Using data from over 1 million transactions on its Sari.PH Pro app, Packworks found that gross merchandise value (GMV) across its network reached P3.73 billion in March, a surge from P1.97 billion the month before.

Launched in 2018 to bridge multinational firms with sari-sari store partners, Packworks has evolved into a business-to-business (B2B) firm that connects wholesalers, distributors, and other parts of the supply chain.

Its Sari.PH Pro is a business-to-business application that uses artificial intelligence to help sari-sari store owners manage their business. This includes managing their inventory, bookkeeping, and data collection.

Packworks noted that GMV skyrocketed 265% on March 21, following the announcement of big-time pump price hikes. This may signal store owners’ preemptive moves to secure inventory before the oil crisis began to impact logistical costs.

Luis*, a sari-sari store owner from Uson, Masbate, had to stock up on inventory.

“Nag-stock up kami dahil natatakot kaming maubusan ng paninda at magkaroon ng delay sa delivery mula sa mga supplier,” he said.

(We stocked up because we were worried about running out of supplies and of possible delays in deliveries.)

The latest shift in consumer behavior is also a deviation from the usual tingi or buying of daily needs in small quantities. Instead, Filipinos are now consolidating trips to offset the rise in transport costs.

Packworks found, for instance, that the average basket size or amount customers spent per visit jumped to P597 to P1,560 in March from just P337 to P1,097 in February.

“With growing uncertainty and rising oil and commodity prices, our data suggests that sari-sari store owners are proactively adjusting their purchasing strategies. Larger basket sizes and increased inventory levels indicate a shift toward preparedness for potential supply disruptions and rising costs,” said Packworks chief data officer Andoy Montiel.

The Philippine Statistics Authority reported that inflation nearly doubled in March to 4.1% as oil supply shocks brought by the Middle East conflict pushed fuel prices to historic highs.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas now forecast inflation to average at 6.3% in 2026.

– Rappler.com