Women dominate sari-sari store ownership in the Philippines, indicating their significant
control in the local economy, a new study conducting on micro and small
business in the country revealed.

A study conducted by Packworks’ intelligence tool, in partnership with Fourth Wall, showed
that 75 percent of the thousands of sari-sari stores analyzed are owned by
women. The report also identified that only 20 percent, are male-dominated, and
five percent, are unknown.

Sari-sari stores are small retail shops commonly found in residential areas across the
Philippines, selling a wide range of consumer goods, from food and beverages to
household items.

Andres Montiel, Pacworks' Head of Data, highlights the significant role of women in
the grassroots economy of the Philippines. "The high percentage of
sari-sari store ownership by women shows that Filipinas virtually control much
of the local economy," he said.

Since about 70 percent of manufactured goods are transacted in sari-sari stores, women's
domination of sari-sari store ownership puts them in a position to make a
difference in the country's economic life, the study said.

However, economic sectors must open their doors to women, as women's labor participation in some industries is
still low. Institutions must also empower women by boosting skills training
initiatives to ensure they can participate fully in the country's economic
growth

According to Fourth Wall’s Research Director, John Brylle Bae, "The primary reason for
women's domination of sari-sari stores lies in the very origin and nature of
sari-sari stores themselves. Families set up sari-sari stores to augment the
resources of the household. Thus, sari-sari stores are always intertwined with
the needs of the home. In the Filipino context, the role of the nanay [mother]
is to manage the home, including addressing and managing the household's
needs."

Moreover, Packworks cited the sociocultural context of the Philippines contributes to this phenomenon.
Bae explained that women have been associated with managing the household since
the colonial era, and this role extends to sari-sari stores. Spanish
colonization and the Western cultural influences that followed redefined the
role of women from powerful religious-political figures in the community
(babaylans or priestesses) to nurturers of the home.

"The data from Pacworks' Sari IQ and the analysis from Fourth Wall provide insights into
the significant role of women in the grassroots economy of the Philippines. The
implications of this data highlight the importance of empowering women to
participate fully in the country's economic growth," said Bae.

Packworks is a startup company that provides a business-to-business (B2B) platform that is
easy to use, has low bandwidth, and light footprint that will allow sari-sari
store owners to become more efficient in managing their business. Founded in
2018 and started as a solution for multinational companies in the Philippines
to connect with neighborhood stores, the platform has now transformed into a
way out of poverty for the millions of sari-sari store owners across the
Philippines.

Packworks empowers the sari-sari stores through scalable and accessible technology, with
its team composed of dedicated developers, programmers, and technicians that
work to put the power back into the hands of the people at the heart of
Filipino communities by providing them digital opportunities previously only
available to big companies.