Top Best Selling Items to Sell in Your Sari-Sari Store

Sari-sari stores, or Philippine street convenience stores, have long been part of the country’s culture. Being fairly low-maintenance, easy to maintain, and the fact that you can run them while at home, they are one of the most common businesses among Filipinos.

Figuring out how to start a sari-sari store can be confusing, leaving you with questions like where to buy wholesale items or what to sell in a sari-sari store. It’s especially confusing if you’re targeting a wide audience with a mindset that convenience stores are supposed to offer all kinds of products, but if you don’t want to end up with expired items on your shelves, you might need to redirect your focus!

If you’re a beginner business owner, be sure to finalize your grocery shopping list before sketching that sari-sari store design and searching for the best wholesale suppliers. This is crucial in keeping tabs on what products sell well and helping you stock less of those that are barely in demand!

Here Are Top Bestselling Items to Sell in Your Sari-Sari Store

Canned Goods

Canned goods are easily one of the bestsellers in sari-sari stores because they are instant meals anyone can grab in a hurry. While it is the main reason, a great fun fact is that the quality and quantity of minerals, fat-soluble vitamins, protein, fat, and carbohydrates remain in the food despite the canning process. However, some water-soluble vitamins such as vitamins C and B can be damaged due to high heat involvement.

This does not change the fact that canned foods are good sources of important vitamins and minerals, which can provide nutrient levels similar to those of their fresh counterparts.

Some of the most commonly bought canned foods in sari-sari stores are corned beef, canned tuna, sardines, and mackerel. Popular canned food brands include: Argentina, CDO, Highlands, Ligo, Purefoods, Mega, Hokkaido, Saba, San Marino, 555, Century, and UniPak.

Instant Noodles

Just like canned goods, cup noodles and instant noodles (also called pouch noodles or packet noodles) are widely loved because of their convenience and deliciousness. They make a great breakfast option, quick lunch idea, and even a midnight snack. They are often craved by the locals, too!

Popular instant noodle brands include: Lucky Me!, Indomie, Nissin, Payless, Maggi, and Quick Chow

Bar Soaps

Bar soaps have one of the highest demands among fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG). Being preoccupied almost daily with all the responsibilities, it’s common to see your bar soap start thinning and vanishing before you know it. And just when you’re about to grab from your stocks, you’d realize there’s none left in there too! This is why bar soaps are one of the best items you can stock up on when building your sari-sari store — people will always and always buy them. If you have no customers, then you have no bar soap up for sale!

Popular bar soap brands include: Bioderm, Dove, Irish Spring, Safeguard, Kojie San, SIlka, SKin White, Tender Care, Dr. Wongs, Palmolive, Johnson’s Baby, Perla Pure, and C.Y. Gabriel.

Shampoo & Conditioner

Part of the FMCG family, shampoo and conditioner are personal care products we all frequently use. They are just as needed as bar soaps; people would often run to the nearest sari-sari store with a towel on their head to buy a sachet!

Popular shampoo & conditioner brands include: Sunsilk, Palmolive, Pantene, Clear, Rejoice, Hana, Head & Shoulders, Keratin Plus, Gard, and Empress.

Laundry Detergent

Laundry detergents are mostly bought by locals in sachets instead of big boxes especially when budgeting by the day. They're also not something people usually stock up on, so last-minute runs to the store happen often — sometimes even mid-laundry! If you plan on selling household basics, laundry detergent is one of those non-negotiables.

Popular laundry detergent brands include: Ariel, Calla, Champion, Perla, Pride, Speed, Surf, Tide, Breeze, Downy, and Bonux.

Beverages

Having a fridge stocked with soft drinks, juices, and water in your sari-sari store is guaranteed to drive traffic, as cold drinks are among the first things people look for when the heat kicks in. Even better when you’ve got a freezer filled with ice-cold bottles — it’s an instant hit during summer!

Popular beverage brands include: Coca-Cola, Mountain Dew, Pepsi, RC Cola, Royal, Sprite, Nestea, and Rite N’ Lite.

Snacks

No sari-sari store is complete without the classic snacks we all grew up with. Whether it’s for baon, merienda, or just something to munch on while watching TV, snacks are top-of-mind for customers of all ages. The key is to keep the shelves full and the snack lineup fun and familiar and the little ones coming back with coins in hand!

Popular snack brands include: Cheezy, Mang Juan, Moby, Oishi, Piattos, Pringles, Nova, Loaded, Chippy, and Calbee.

Condiments and Spices

Filipinos are never satisfied with the amount of condiments and spices in their cooking, this is why Filipino dishes are one of the best cuisines you can ever try!

Usually, customers only need small sachets or pouches that are just enough for that night’s ulam. You might have even heard of the typical Anak, pabili ng suka! Phrase from Filipino moms in the middle of cooking. Yes, they are just that important. And that’s exactly why condiments are true must-haves in your sari-sari store.

Popular condiment brands include: Ajinomoto, Maggi, Knorr, UFC, Silver Swan, Datu Puti, Marca Pina, Del Monte, Jufran, Mama Sita, Lee Kum Kee, and Mother’s Best.

Rice

In the Philippines, rice is life, and sari-sari stores that carry it in repacked portions are always in demand. Not everyone can afford or carry a 25-kilo sack all at once, so buying rice by the kilo (or even by the ganta) is still very common, especially in smaller neighborhoods. Some stores even offer cooked rice by cup portions for those who don’t have time to cook.

Popular rice brands include: Dona Maria, Highlands, and Willy Farm.

Basic Medicines

Headaches, fevers, and stomach issues don’t follow a schedule, and when they hit, there’s only a rare chance that you live a decent distance from a drugstore. The solution? Sari-sari store!

With this common dilemma, sari-sari store owners have started making basic medicines available, and now, people rush to the nearest sari-sari store for relief. Stocking over-the-counter medicines in small packs or per tablet has become a norm for stores in residential areas.

Keeping a small but complete stash of pain relievers, allergy meds, and first-aid must-haves can help someone out in a pinch — and keep your store in their go-to list.

Popular OTC drugs/supplement brands include: Alaxan FR, Band-Aid, Bioflu, Biogesic, Decolgen, Diatabs, Kool Fever, Neozep, Revicon, Ritemed, and Strepsils.

How To Find Wholesale Suppliers

Finding a good supplier sure is one of the biggest hassles of staring a sari-sari store. It’s like getting engaged and suddenly facing the reality of wedding prep — looking for potential venues, a coordinator, reception catering — every step feels like a huge decision.

The good thing is that there are multiple ways to find a good wholesaler. You can attend trade shows, use wholesale directories like Alibaba, contact manufacturers directly, search online marketplaces. join wholesale forums, or simply ask for referrals if you are acquainted with any sari-sari store owner. 

And since you’re already here, look no further! Suy Sing is one of the country’s biggest wholesalers for your sari-sari negosyo. They offer exclusive prices and even provide free shipping for orders above Php 5,000. What a steal for new business owners!