Luck in the basket: Packworks data shows CNY drives sari-sari store surge

New data from Filipino tech startup Packworks shows that cultural beliefs around luck and prosperity are directly influencing purchasing behaviour, driving a surge in sales of symbolic food and drink items in neighbourhood stores nationwide during Chinese New Year.

Through its business intelligence tool Sari IQ, Packworks analysed over a million monthly transactions across its network of 300,000 sari-sari stores over a three-year period. The study compared sales trends for holiday-related items two weeks before and after Chinese New Year from 2023 to 2025. The findings point to a consistent uplift in products associated with abundance, longevity and good fortune – reinforcing the link between culture and commerce at the grassroots level.

Hopia, the round pastry of Chinese origin symbolising togetherness and good fortune, posted steady gains over the three-year period. Median gross merchandise value (GMV) growth rose to 20% in 2025, up from a 14% increase in 2023.

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The strongest growth came from the Visayas. Central Visayas (Region VII) recorded a 240% spike in sales and a 200% increase in transactions in 2025. The momentum reflects the region’s enduring Chinese cultural influence, particularly in Western and Central Visayas, home to significant Chinese-Filipino communities such as Iloilo, which has approximately 14,000 Chinese-Filipinos.

Wine and noodles signal prosperity

Chinese wine, closely associated with festive toasts and prosperity wishes, saw median GMV leap 36% in 2025, compared to just 3% growth in 2023. Central Luzon (Region III) posted a consistent 100% sales increase each year, while Eastern Visayas showed sustained growth from 72% in 2023 to 115% in 2025. The data suggests an interplay between Chinese influence and the local ‘tagay’ tradition of communal drinking.

Asian noodles, symbolising long life, rebounded with a 10% sales increase in 2025 following a 3% decline the previous year. SOCCSKSARGEN (Region XII) led with a 25% sales rise, driven in part by a 36% increase in stores carrying the product. Western Visayas recorded the largest jump in transactions at 25%.

Central Luzon and Eastern Visayas maintained steady growth over the three-year period. Central Luzon recorded increases of 27% in 2023, 15% in 2024 and 17% in 2025, while Eastern Visayas showed 28%, 18% and 9% growth respectively – reflecting consistent top-up purchases of affordable and culturally symbolic items in sari-sari stores.

The “prosperity basket” expands

The festive uplift extends beyond symbolic staples.

Soy sauce, a key ingredient introduced through Chinese cuisine, saw sales rise 9% in 2025. Seasoning granules and MSG increased by 7%, while cooking oil recorded around a 13% rise in both sales and transactions.

Sweet products also featured prominently in the so-called prosperity basket. Chocolates surged 36% in 2025, while sugar sustained strong performance after a 47% spike in 2024 – underscoring the cultural association of sweetness with a “sweet” year ahead.

Andoy Montiel, chief data officer at Packworks, said the patterns highlight how deeply culture shapes grassroots consumption.

“Our historical data underscores how deeply traditional beliefs and cultural influences are embedded in the Filipino psyche, proving that commerce is inseparable from culture. The sales trends show that for the average Filipino, Chinese New Year isn’t just a holiday, but a window for ‘investing’ in prosperity. These cultural nuances are mirrored in the sari-sari store ecosystem, proving that in our local market, heritage often leads the hand that shops,” Montiel said.

Hubert Yap, co-founder and chief platform officer of Packworks, said FMCGs must rethink how they approach distribution in neighbourhood retail.

“Our latest insights prove that to stay relevant, brands and FMCGs must move beyond passive stocking and traditional distribution toward a hyper-localised, insight-led strategy. By aligning product availability with these deeply ingrained cultural cues, brands can capture the latent demand that often goes unseen in modern trade, effectively turning cultural nuances into a competitive advantage at the grassroots level,” Yap said.

Looking ahead, Packworks projects a further 10% GMV growth and a 4% increase in transactions for this year’s Chinese New Year period, noting that more Filipinos are purchasing multiple units of the same product per transaction during the festive window.

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