“Tagay pa, ‘Tay!”: Alcohol remains a staple in Father’s Day celebrations - Packworks study

10 July 2023 - Celebrating Father’s Day in the Philippines seems not complete without some good company of alcohol, a study suggests.

Data analytics platform Packworks, in collaboration with socio-cultural research firm Fourth Wall, analyzed grassroots sales volume data from over 200,000 sari-sari stores in the Philippines through its business intelligence tool Sari IQ and discovered that alcoholic beverages experienced a notable increase in sales during Father's Day in both 2022 and 2023.

Packworks’ data shows that in 2022, products that were related to comfort food preparations and alcohol saw the highest one-day rise in demand on Father’s Day. Aluminum foil enjoyed the biggest surge, with a whopping 772 percent, followed by rice with 216 percent. Powder soup mix had a 215 percent increase in sales, while flour was at 157 percent. Meanwhile, the demand for vodka doubled during the festivity.

This year, however, Filipino consumers didn’t shy away from celebrating the special day, with Chinese wine posting the highest growth in sales with 84 percent. The Sari IQ data further revealed a more diverse range of products gaining traction. Food items like peanut butter spread and bread rolls experienced growth rates of 55 percent and 51 percent, while non-food products such as candles and razors grew substantially, at 75 percent and 44 percent, respectively. 

"The Sari IQ data suggests that while food is becoming less prominent among ordinary customers’ demand, alcoholic beverages remain on top in their market baskets on Father’s Day. Furthermore, the findings shed light on the evolving nature of consumer preferences during Father's Day, implying Filipinos are exploring and embracing a wider variety of products to enhance their celebrations," said Arch Tesorero, Advanced Analytics and Insights Manager at Packworks.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the inflation rate for food products in June 2022 is lower than at the same time in 2023. However, it remains high at 5.4 percent despite the steady decline in recent months. 

“The inflationary difference could have adversely affected the demand for comfort food, as it discouraged people from purchasing them. This could explain the fragmentation of the top demanded product on Father’s Day,” Fourth Wall’s Research Director John Brylle Bae explained.

Bae also pointed out that beyond the effects brought by inflation, Filipino fathers' ties to alcohol are rooted in cultural upbringing.

"In our culture, drinking is strongly associated with macho culture, and in the Filipino context, it is seen as a measure of one's manliness. Therefore, regardless of economic changes, one can expect that any Filipino festivity that 'celebrates' a man will likely include 'inuman,' and, thus, alcoholic beverages."

The Sari IQ tool utilizes data analytics to understand and predict consumer behavior across product categories and locations nationwide, enabling retailers and multinational brands to make data-driven decisions that boost sales for sari-sari store owners and expand their product offerings to a larger customer base.