Filipinos rethink ‘sin product' purchases at sari-sari stores

For decades, the sales patterns in the Philippines' sari-sari stores have offered a reliable micro-level view of consumer behavior and local economic conditions.

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However, recent data indicates a shift in these long-established trends, with a downturn in the sales of frequently purchased items like cigarettes and alcohol.

Data from tech startup Packworks reveals that rising prices of "sin" products cigarettes and alcohol took a bite out of sales in 2024, leaving both store owners and consumers feeling the pinch.

Packworks, through its mobile sari-sari store app and business intelligence tool Sari IQ, analyzed sales transactions across its network of over 300,000 sari-sari stores nationwide.

The findings paint a clear picture: Filipinos are cutting back on these traditionally popular items as their purchasing power weakens.

The numbers speak for themselves. Combined sales of major cigarette brands Marlboro, Mighty, and Winston plummeted by approximately 12 percent in 2024, translating to a drop in gross merchandise value (GMV) from over P503 million in 2023 to P392 million. Mighty experienced the most substantial decline at 25 percent, followed by Marlboro at 24 percent, and Winston at eight percent.