“Pabili po ng Cadbury?” Pinoys turn to sari-sari stores for premium chocolates during Valentine’s Day – Packworks study

February 21, 2025 Manila, Philippines — Gone are the days when Filipinos only go to sari-sari stores for everyday essentials: now, they’re increasingly becoming a go-to destination for special occasion treats, such as premium chocolates for Valentine’s Day.

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, specifically Swiss brand Toblerone and British confectionary brand Cadbury, for Valentine’s Day based on data collected from February 1, 2022 to February 17, 2025 from its network of over 300,000 sari-sari stores nationwide.

According to Packworks’ data of sari-sari store sales transactions, Toblerone enjoyed nearly a 3,000% spike in sales between February 13 and 15, compared to the same days in other months. Meanwhile, Cadbury saw approximately a 500% increase in sales for the same periods. 

This trend was consistent across Packworks’ active user base of sari-sari stores nationwide with some notable regional spikes observed in sari-sari stores based in Region IV-A (CALABARZON) which recorded the highest sales for these chocolate brands with almost a quarter of total sales, followed by Region II (Cagayan Valley) and Region III (Central Luzon) accounting for 12% each in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV). Meanwhile, the National Capital Region (NCR) was ranked 5th overall with 7% GMV.

Packworks’ Chief Data Officer Andoy Montiel emphasized the role of sari-sari stores as their community’s extended pantry, adjusting their inventory based on seasonal demand and consumer preferences:

“Our data shows that the conventional notion that sari-sari stores only sell cheap products might be outdated.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 PHP 60M in sales for the total chocolate category for the peak months of February.

“This finding illustrates 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,” Montiel adds.

Packworks Chief Executive Officer Bing Tan shares that the data from its network of stores demonstrates Filipinos’ passion and affection for loved ones during this special day, splurging on premium items like chocolates despite the rising prices of essential commodities.

“Even with rising prices, we see that Filipinos make an effort to prioritize celebrating special occasions and showing their love for family and friends.  This resilience and commitment to connection are truly inspiring, and sari-sari stores play a key role in making these celebrations possible,” says Tan.

Packworks’ Sari IQ service is an innovative tool that leverages data analytics to provide valuable insights into sari-sari store selling behavior and buying patterns of sari-sari store consumers. With its ability to filter information to a per-brand or per-stock keeping unit (SKU) level, Sari IQ gathers data from sari-sari stores nationwide to discover valuable insights so that its users can make better data-driven decisions and expand their businesses for growth.

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.