As Chinese New Year nears, luck is not just in the air. It is flying off the shelves.
Across the Philippines, neighborhood sari-sari stores are seeing a surge in sales of culturally symbolic goods as shoppers stock up on items believed to usher in good luck.
According to data from Packworks, small retailers are cashing in on tradition, with demand spiking two weeks before and after the Lunar New Year from 2023 to 2025.
Drawing from more than one million monthly transactions across a network of 300,000 stores, Packworks’ Sari IQ platform shows hopia, the round pastry symbolizing unity and prosperity, delivering steady gains.
Median gross merchandise value growth reached 20 percent in 2025, up from 14 percent in 2023. Central Visayas led the surge, logging a 240 percent spike in sales and a 200 percent jump in transactions, reflecting the region’s deep Chinese-Filipino roots.
Chinese wine, a staple for celebratory toasts, posted a 36 percent jump in median GMV in 2025, a sharp rise from just 3 percent two years earlier. Central Luzon recorded consistent triple-digit annual growth, while Eastern Visayas showed steady gains, blending imported tradition with the local tagay ritual.
Even pantry staples joined the celebration. Asian noodles, symbols of long life, rebounded with 10 percent sales growth in 2025. SOCCSKSARGEN posted the highest increase at 25 percent.
Packworks Chief Data Officer Andoy Montiel said the figures prove that commerce and culture move together. For many Filipinos, preparing for the Lunar New Year means filling baskets with food that carries meaning, turning everyday purchases into small bets on prosperity.
