1st in PH: Sari-sari retail media network launched
KairoTech and Packworks have entered into a strategic partnership to develop what the companies envision as the Philippines’ first Sari-Sari Retail Media Network—a new way for brands to understand, reach and engage Filipino consumers closer to where everyday purchasing decisions take place.
The partnership combines Packworks’ network of more than 300,000 digitized sari-sari stores with KairoTech’s behavior-led digital media and audience intelligence capabilities. Together, the companies aim to connect one of the country’s most important grassroots retail channels more closely with brands, media and the digital economy.
There are an estimated 1.3 million sari-sari stores nationwide. Beyond their scale, these stores are deeply embedded in Filipino communities, providing convenient access to everyday goods while serving as trusted neighborhood businesses built on proximity, familiarity and personal relationships.
“Retail media should do more than make advertising more precise. In the Philippine context, it can connect brand investment to real economic activity in communities—helping brands build demand while creating more opportunities for sari-sari stores to sell more, strengthen their economics and grow,” says Ed Sunico, managing partner of KairoTech.
As supermarkets, convenience stores, e-commerce platforms and other modern retail formats expand, the partnership aims to strengthen the sari-sari channel. For store owners, stronger and more relevant demand can mean faster product movement and higher sales. Better visibility into local demand can support smarter stocking and ordering, reduce inventory inefficiencies, and create opportunities for better purchasing economics and lower cost of goods over time. These gains can help improve margins, support more competitive pricing and strengthen the long-term viability of neighborhood stores.
The model also builds on an advantage unique to neighborhood retail: the traditional suki (close customer) relationship.
“Sari-sari stores understand their neighborhoods better than anyone. By giving them greater access to technology, data and market opportunities while preserving the trust and suki relationships that define neighborhood retail, we can help the entire channel become stronger, more competitive and more sustainable,” says Ibba Rasul Bernardo, chief strategy and communications officer of Packworks.
