Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF QUEZON PROVINCE
Name of Researcher/s: Jomalyn D. Bernal School/School District: LOPEZ NATIONAL
COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL
Grade Level: 12 Track: ACADEMICS Strand: ABM
SARI-SARI STORES DURING PANDEMIC: IMPACTS OF COVID-19 TO BUSINESS
IN CALAUAG, QUEZON
Abstract:
PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to determine the impacts of Covid-19 Pandemic to sari-
sari stores as well as to identify the coping strategies on how to run a business even in times of
pandemic based from the recommendations on how the sari-sari store owners dealt with the
business impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The research used descriptive research design in

identifying the respondents’ demographic profile, the impacts of Covid-19 pandemic to Sari-sari
stores in terms of customer, sales, and services, and in determining how do sari-sari store owners
dealt with the business impacts of the pandemic. More so, descriptive-comparative method was
utilized in identifying the significant difference on the impacts of the pandemic to the sari-sari
stores when respondents are grouped into profile. On data analysis, simple percentage, Weighted
Average Mean, t-test and analysis of variance were used. 25 sari-sari store owners in Barangay
Sabang Uno, Calauag Quezon served as the respondents of the study. The study used purposive
sampling in identifying the respondents. More so, data were gathered through survey
questionnaires which the said respondents answered.

FINDINGS: Among 25 sari-sari store owner respondents, 24 or 96 percent were female while
1 or 4 percent was male. Hence, majority of the respondents were female. The respondents were
middle aged in majority and operating the sari-sari store business in 1 to 5 years. In general, the
respondents have agreed that Covid-19 had impacts on the sari-sari stores’ customers, sales and
services with an overall Weighted Arithmetic Mean (WAM) of 2.75. The respondents’ age and
years of business operation did not contribute to differ the impacts of Covid-19 pandemic to the
sari-sari stores’ operations. However, a significant difference was found when respondents were
grouped according to sex with the p-value of 0.03. Male were found to have been negatively
affected more than female. To cope up with the impacts of Covid-19 to sari-sari store operations,
the respondents dominantly did strategies such as repacking products into smaller pieces so they
can be sold cheaply (3.52), providing satisfying and quality services and products (3.48), finding
cheap suppliers so pricing would not be high for target customers (3.28), and offering of essential
commodities that match customer’s needs (3.28).

RESEARCH LIMITATIONS: This study focuses on the impacts of Covid-19 pandemic to

sari-sari store businesses in Sabang Uno Calauag, Quezon. This means that the study is only
limited to the stated location. Also, the study excluded other types of businesses.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The research was conducted during the time of pandemic which
happened unexpectedly. The findings of the study would be of great value to come up with new
strategies in business in trying times such that when physical interactions are limited.
KEYWORDS: Business during Pandemic, Covid- 19, Sari-sari stores
 Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF QUEZON PROVINCE

Title Sari-sari Stores during Pandemic: Impacts of Covid-19 to Business in

Calauag, Quezon

Purpose The aim of the study was to determine the impacts of Covid-19
Pandemic to sari-sari stores as well as to identify the coping strategies on how
to run a business even in times of pandemic based from the recommendations
on how the sari-sari store owners dealt with the business impacts of the
COVID-19 pandemic.

Brief The World has been gripped by a pandemic over the first half of 2020.
Introduction It was identified as a new coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome
coronavirus 2 or SARS-CoV-2), and later named as Coronavirus Disease-19 or
COVID-19 (Qiu et al., 2020). The COVID-19 pandemic is a health crisis which
led countries in the world including the Philippines to enforce lockdowns and
other measures to contain the spread of the virus.

The outbreak of Covid-19 has had severe economic consequences

across the globe, and it does not look like any country will be unaffected. This
has led to dramatic changes in how businesses act and consumers behave
(Donthu & Gustafsson, 2020). With the stoppage of economic activities, huge
impact in businesses industries have been observed. In the Philippines, the
pandemic has strongly affected two-thirds of Filipino firms (ITC COVID-19
Business Impact Survey,2020).

To address concerns on the spread of the pandemic, the Philippine

government declared a state of calamity on 16 March 2020 and imposed an
enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) across the Luzon Island which directed
to businesses shut down – except for those that provide food, healthcare,
banking or business process outsourcing services, or export-oriented industries.
Relatively, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many businesses to close,
leading to an unprecedented disruption of commerce in most industry sectors.
With fewer resources to ride out the storm, small businesses like sari-sari stores
have been especially vulnerable to the impact of the crisis.

Sari-sari store occupies an important economic and social location in a

Filipino community and are ubiquitous in neighborhoods and along streets. The
sari-sari store operates with a small revolving fund and it generally does not
offer perishable goods. Like other businesses, sari-sari store operations during
Covid-19 pandemic have not been exempted to experience impacts. The
neighborhood sari-sari (variety or general) store is part and parcel of daily life
for the average Filipino. Any essential household good that might be missing
from one’s pantry – from basic food items like coffee and margarine, to other
necessities like mosquito coils, soap, and matches – is most conveniently
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SCHOOLS DIVISION OF QUEZON PROVINCE
purchased from the sari-sari store nearby at affordably portioned quantities.
Apart from the most affluent communities, the sari-sari store is a constant
feature of residential neighborhoods in the Philippines both in rural and urban
areas, even in the poorest squatter communities (Posted by Action for
Economic Reforms, 2007).

With the call to contain the virus and challenges brought by community
lockdowns, sari-sari store operations in Brgy. Sabang Uno Calauag, Quezon
have made different adjustments to continue its service to generate income and
to provide service to the community as well. Such adjustments were believed
to have impacted the customers, sales and services. This has led the researcher
to come up with this study being an ABM student and having a sari-sari store
as the main source of income.

The data gathered in this study would be of great help to many people
such as the sari-sari store owners, ABM students, the future business owners,
as well as the future researchers to get information or data related to the impacts
of COVID-19 pandemic to businesses. The findings of the study led to
determining coping strategies on how to run a business even in times of
pandemic.

Research This study generally aims to identify the Impacts of Covid-19 to the
Questions sari-sari store businesses in Brgy. Sabang Uno Calauag, Quezon.
Specifically, it sought answers to the following questions:
1. What is the business owners’ profile in terms of
1.1. age
1.2. sex
1.3. number of years of operation

2. What are the impacts of Covid-19 Pandemic to the Sari-sari store operations
in terms of:
2.1. customer
2.2. sales
2.3. services

3. Are there significant differences on the impacts of Covid-19 Pandemic to the

Sari-sari store operations when respondents are grouped into profile?

4. What coping strategies on the business impacts of the pandemic did the sari-
sari store owners do?

Brief Review To support the current study, the researcher reviewed previous works
of Related such as articles, researches and other sources online.
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Literature Bartik et al. (2020) conducted a survey in late March of nearly 6,000
and Studies small businesses that were members of the alignable business network. They
find that 43% of businesses is temporarily closed, large reductions in
employees, and the majority of businesses has less than 1 month of cash on
hand.

COVID-19 caused a global pandemic in 2020 that completely

revolutionized our way of life, consequently affecting the research area of
business, management and accounting sector (Donthu, N., Gustafsson, A.,
2020).

In the study of Robert entitled “The Impact of Covid-19 on Small

Business Owners: Evidence of Early- Stage Losses from the April 2020 Current
Population Survey”, the widespread closing of stores and businesses around the
world due to the coronavirus is unprecedented. Stores, factories and many other
businesses have closed by policy mandate or downward demand shifts. Many
of these closures may be permanent because of the inability to pay ongoing
expenses and survive the shutdown. The impact on small businesses around the
world is likely to be severe. Although the effects of COVID-19 on the economy
showed up quickly in the stock market, the real estate market and
unemployment claims, the effects on small business are not well known
because of the lack of timely business-level data released by the government.

Impacts of COVID‐19 on small businesses from the April 2020 CPS

indicate that losses were spread across demographic groups and types of
business—no group was immune to negative impacts of social‐distancing
policy mandates and demand shifts. But, they also reveal a partial bounce back
for all groups. Although there is no way to know at this time if these business
closures will be permanent each month of inactivity has an impact on the
revenues, profits, and employees of these businesses (Fairlie, 2020).

Small Business Pulse Survey indicate that roughly 50% of businesses

report having a large negative effect from the COVID‐19 pandemic (U.S.
Census Bureau, 2020).

In the new retail environment, indeed, modern customers are shifting

their behavior over time, and push retailers to become increasingly agile and
alter their consumer culture (Dwivedi et al., 2020).
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Conceptual Framework

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

• Sari-sari store • Review related

owners’ profile literature and
o Sex studies
o Age • Instrument
o Years of construction based
operations from RRL/S Strategies in
• Impacts of Covid- • Data gathering running a
19 pandemic to • Data analysis and business during
sari -sari stores statistical pandemic
o customers treatment
o sales • Data Interpretation
o services
• Coping strategies
on the impacts of
Covid-19
pandemic to sari-
sari stores

Figure 1. Conceptual Paradigm

The conceptual paradigm of the study (Figure 1) is composed of three

frames namely: Input, Process and Output. The Input is comprised of the profile
of the respondents in terms of age, sex, and number of years of operation;
Impacts of Covid-19 to sari-sari store businesses in terms of customers, sales,
and services; and Coping strategies on the business impacts of the pandemic.

The process includes the steps that the researcher made to come up with
the results. It includes reviewing of literature and studies related to the current
reserach which were used as the reseracher devised the questionnaire as the
main data gathering instrument, data gathering, analysis of the impacts of
Covid-19 pandemic to sari-sari store businesses as well as the significant
differences on the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic to the sari-sari stores
business in barangay Sabang Uno Calauag, Quezon when respondents were
grouped into profile and identifying the coping strategies on how to run a
business even in times of pandemic.

Findings after the statistical treatment and data analysis led to the
recommendations of strategies based from how owners dealt with the business
impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Research Design
Design and The descriptive research design and descriptive-comparative methods
Methodology of research was used in this study.
The research used descriptive research design in identifying the
respondents’ profile as well as in identifying the impacts of Covid-19 to Sari-
sari store businesses in terms of customers, sales, and services. The same type
of design was used in determining how do sari-sari store owners dealt with the
business impacts of the pandemic. More so, descriptive-comparative method
was utilized in identifying the significant difference on how the pandemic
affects the sari-sari store businesses when respondents are grouped according
to profile.

Research Population and Sample

The respondents of the study were composed of twenty-five (25) sari-
sari store owners of Barangay Sabang Uno Calauag, Quezon. The respondents
were selected purposively. The criteria for selecting respondents purposively
were people who owns sari-sari store. This is to gather all the necessary
information about the impacts of Covid-19 to sari-sari store businesses. The
reason for the method of selection of the respondents is to gather necessary data
and information needed to complete the study and to identify if there are
significant differences on how the pandemic affects the sari-sari store
businesses in Brgy. Sabang Uno Calauag, Quezon when considering the age,
sex, and respondents' years of business operation.

Research Instrument
The researcher used survey questionnaires as an instrument to
determine the impacts of Covid-19 to sari-sari store businesses in Barangay
Sabang Uno Calauag, Quezon.
The survey questionnaires include the following content:
Part I where respondents were asked of their profile.
Part II which includes the survey questionnaires that determine the impacts of
Covid-19 to sari-sari store businesses.
Part III which includes the survey questionnaires that determine what coping
strategies on the business impacts of the pandemic did the sari-sari store owners
do.
The survey questionnaires used 4-point likert scale: Strongly Disagree
(1), Disagree (2), Agree (3), Strongly Agree (4).

Data Gathering Procedure

In accomplishing this study, the following procedures was considered
and followed:
A letter of request to conduct the study was prepared. The letter sent
personally from the researcher to the respondents. The researcher conducted
the research in Brgy. Sabang Uno Calauag, Quezon through survey
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questionnaires. The researcher explained to the respondents the importance of
their responses to the study. The researcher also clarified some terms to the
respondents so that the respondents can answer with full knowledge of their
responsibility as a respondent of the study.
Based on the data, the researcher will come up with conclusion and
recommendations for this study.

Data Analysis and Statistical Treatment of Data

The researcher used the statistical measures and tools in summarizing,
presenting, analyzing and interpreting the data gathered.
In relation to specific problem 1 concerning the business profile of the
respondents, simple percentage was utilized.
To answer specific problem 2 which is about the impacts of Covid-19
to the sari-sari store businesses in terms of customers, sales, and services,
Weighted Arithmetic Mean (WAM) was utilized. It was used to classify how
the respondents get affected by the specific indicator as to strongly agree, agree,
disagree, and strongly disagree.
To answer specific problem 3 concerning the significant difference on
how the pandemic affects the sari-sari store businesses in Barangay Sabang
Uno Calauag, Quezon when respondents are grouped according to age and sex
as well as the number of years of operation, t- test for independent samples and
one way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were utilized.
Specifically, to measure the significant difference on how the
pandemic affects the respondents in the said barangay when they are grouped
according to sex, t- test for independent samples was used.
On the other hand, to measure the significant difference on how the
pandemic affects the sari-sari store owners when they are grouped according to
age as well as the number of years of business operation, one- way Analysis of
Variance (ANOVA) was utilized.

1. On the Demographic Profile of the Respondents

Findings Among 25 sari-sari store owner respondents, 24 or 96 percent were
female while 1 or 4 percent was male. Hence, majority of the respondents were
female.
In terms of age, 12 or 48 percent were 31-40 years old, 5 or 20 percent
were 41-50 years old, and 3 or 12 percent were 51-60 years old. Thus, majority
of the respondents were middle aged persons. “Although the age period that
defines middle age is somewhat arbitrary, differing greatly from person to
person, it is generally defined as being between the ages of 40 and 60”
(Britannica, n.d.).
Meanwhile, 2 or 8 percent were 21-30 years old and above 60 years
old respectively, and only 1 or 4 percent was below 20 years old. Therefore,
lesser sari-sari store owners were in these age ranges. Such results were
contributed by the fact that at early 20’s, it is more likely that a person is still
in college level or starting up a career. Meanwhile, above 60 were already
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considered senior citizens in which more likely at this age, a person is at the
retirement age already from the work or career or path being pursued.

In terms of number of years of operation, 11 or 44 percent were

operating for 1-5 years, 6 or 24 percent were 6-10 years, and 3 or 12 percent
were more than 20 years of business operation and less than 1 year of business
operation respectively. Meanwhile, only 2 or 8 percent were 11-20 years of
business operation. Therefore, majority of the respondents were operating the
sari-sari store business for 1-5 years.

2. On the Impacts of COVID-19 to Sari-sari Store Businesses

In general, the respondents have agreed that Covid-19 had impacts on
the sari-sari stores’ customers, sales and services with an overall Weighted
Arithmetic Mean (WAM) of 2.75, verbally interpreted as Agree.

Specifically, in terms of customers, with an overall WAM of 2.69, the

respondents agreed that the number of customers decreased per day (3.16), sari-
sari store owners were challenged to the limited buying behavior of the
customers (2.96), it was difficult to maintain social connections with customers
(2.88), and it was difficult to acquire new customers like passersby (2.52).
However, majority disagreed that sari-sari store completely lost customers
during pandemic (1.92).

With regards to sales, with an overall WAM of 2.94, the respondents

strongly agreed that the sales decreased per day (3.28). More so, the
respondents agreed that sari-sari store owners' income decreased due to higher
prices of commodities of supplier (3.00), sales performance for non-essential
commodities became poor (2.60), and due to poor sales, the sari-sari store
owners were slowly losing their profit making it difficult to sustain the
business' operations (2.88).

In terms of services, with an overall WAM of 2.62, the respondents

strongly agreed that the business' opening and closing hours altered and
adjusted due to the implementation of curfews (3.56). The sari-sari store
owners agreed that additional expenses were gained for precautionary services
(2.96), and had low demand for services due to the different types of
community quarantine (2.52). However, majority disagreed that sari-sari store
owners gained additional expenses for the delivery service of products to
customers (2.2), and stopped giving services to customers as the sari-sari store
business permanently closed (1.88).

3. On the Significant Difference how the Pandemic affects the Sari-sari

Store Businesses
There was no significant difference found on the viewed impacts of
COVID-19 to sari-sari store owners when respondents were grouped according
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to age with the p-value of 0.84 thus the researcher failed to reject the null
hypothesis.

With p-value of 0.03 and with respective means of 3.57 and 2.71 for
male and female respectively, there was a significant difference found on how
the COVID-19 affects the sari-sari store owners when grouped according to
sex. Thus, the researcher rejected the null hypothesis.

On the otherhand, there was no significant difference found on the

viewed impacts of COVID-19 to sari-sari store owners when respondents were
grouped according to number of years of business operation with the p-value
of 0.34 thus the researcher failed to reject the null hypothesis.

4. On the coping strategies on the business impacts of the pandemic that

the sari-sari store owners did
In general, the respondents have agreed that the sari-sari store
owners used strategies to deal with the business impacts of the Covid-19 with
an overall Weighted Arithmetic Mean (WAM) of 3.00, verbally interpreted as
Agree.

To deal with the business impacts of the pandemic, the respondents

strongly agreed to the following coping strategies: repacks products into
smaller pieces so they can be sold cheaply (3.52), provides satisfying and
quality services and products (3.48), find cheap suppliers so pricing would not
be high for target customers (3.28), and offers essential commodities that match
customer’s needs (3.28).
More so, the respondents agreed that sari-sari store owners adjust
opening hours to a much earlier time (3.20), provides disinfecting materials for
customers (2.96), offers online venues for greater chance of acquiring and
maintaining connection with the customers (2.96), and extends payment option
methods like using gcash and paypal (2.60) to deal on the viewed impacts of
the Covid-19.
However, the said respondents disagreed to offer different promos
and freebies for the customers who purchase large number of products or goods
(2.40), as well as to offer free delivery for nearby customers (2.36).

Conclusions Based on the findings of the study, the following conclusions are
formulated:

1. Majority of the sari-sari store owners included in the study were female,
middle aged and operating the said business in 1 to 5 years while only
few were male, have ages 20 and below and above 60, and operating
the business for 11-20 years.
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2. Sari-sari store owner respondents generally agreed that the Covid-19
had negative impacts to the said business particularly in terms of
customers, sales and services. Among the indicators, majority strongly
agreed on the decrease of sales each day and the need for
alteration/adjustment of opening and closing hours due to curfew which
have affected the business income. However, even with the impacts, it
was still found that at least the sari-sari stores in the locale of study did
not completely lost customers as well as did not stop giving its service
to customers.

3. The respondents’ age and years of business operation does not

contribute on how Covid-19 affects the sari-sari store businesses.
However, there was significant difference found on the viewed impacts
of COVID-19 to sari-sari store owners when respondents were grouped
according to sex in which male owners have been negatively affected
more than female which more likely due to the resiliency of female than
male. It conforms with Scharlach’s research (cited in Browning, n.d.)
which also concluded that resilience being one of the keys to successful
aging has been observed more among women. Women generally retain
far more resilience as they age than men.

4. Sari-sari store owner respondents generally agreed on strategies to deal

with the business impacts of the Covid-19. Among the indicators,
majority strongly agreed to repack products into smaller pieces so they
can be sold cheaply, provide satisfying and quality services and
products, find cheap suppliers so pricing would not be high for target
customers, and offer essential commodities that match customer’s
needs as strategies to deal with business impacts of the pandemic.
However, the said respondents disagreed to use strategies which offer
different promos and freebies for the customers who purchase large
number of products or goods, as well as to offer free delivery for nearby
customers.

Recommen- The findings of the study led the researcher to give the following
dations recommendations.
For the Sari-sari Store Owners
With all the results that have been gathered, this study has identified
the impacts of Covid-19 pandemic to the sari-sari store businesses in terms of
the following variables: customers, sales, and services. In this regard, the
researcher recommends the sari-sari store owners to improve their promotion
strategy, sales, and services using the resources that are available in this kind
of setup such as online or social media platforms.
For the Future Business Owners
As this study found and analyzed the problems encountered by the sari-
sari store owners, the researcher recommends the future business owners to
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have a concrete plan necessary as part of readiness before or during acquiring
a business. Furthermore, they are recommended to familiarize themselves
about the basic knowledge and skills in running a business as these will help
them and their respective businesses be resilient amidst any challenges such as
the Covid-19 pandemic.
For the Future Researcher
The study was conducted to identify the impacts of Covid-19 to sari-
sari store businesses. This means that the study is limited to the stated micro
businesses. Therefore, the researcher recommends the future researchers to
conduct a study that identifies the impacts of Covid-19 pandemic to larger types
of business.

References Action for Economic Reforms. (2007). The Filipino Sari-sari Store.
https://aer.ph

Bartik, A., Bertrand, M., Cullen, Z., Glaeser, E., Luca, M., Stanton, C.
(2020). How are small businesses adjusting to COVID‐19? Early
evidence from a survey.
https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/how-are-small-businesses- adjusting-to-
covid-19-early-evidence-from-a-survey

Bonnin, C. (2004). Windows to the Market: Exploring Women’s

Strategies and Supports as Home-Based Traders in Metro
Manila.http://rizal.library.ateneo.edu/node/11600

Browning, F. (n.d). Survival Secrets: What Is It About Women That

Makes Them More Resilient Than Men?.
https://alumni.berkeley.edu/california-magazine/just-in/2015-04-
30/survival-secrets-what-it-about-women-makes-them- more#:~:text
=Resilience%2C%20it%20turns%20out%2C%20is,as%20they
%20age%20than%20men.&text=%E2%80%9CAnd%20that%
20continues%.20throughout%20women's,burdens%20and%
20expectations%20from%20men.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), (2020). Identifying

the source of the outbreak.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-
updates/about-epidemiology/identifying-source-outbreak.html

Donthu, N., Gustafsson, A. (2020). Effects of COVID-19 on business

and research.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.06.008

Dwivedi, Y., Rana, N., Slade, E., Singh, N., Kizgin, H. (2020). Editorial
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introduction: Advances in theory and practice of digital marketing
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2019.101909

Encyclopaedia Britannica’s Editor, (n.d.). Middle Age.

https://www.britannica.com/science/middle-ag

Fairlie, R. (2020). The impact of Covid‐19 on small business owners:

Evidence of early‐stage losses from the April 2020 Current
Population Survey. https://www.nber.org/papers/w27309

Qui, Y., Chen, X., & Shi, W. (2020). Impacts of Social and Economic
Factors on the Transmission of Coronavirus Disease 2019
(COVID-19) in China.
https://www.econstor.eu/handle/10419/216820

U.S. Census Bureau (2020). U.S. Census Bureau Covid-19 Pulse

Survey. https://census.hawaii.gov

Bio sketch of the Researcher

Jomalyn D. Bernal is a Senior High School Student at Lopez

National Comprehensive High School. She currently studies
Accountancy, Business, and Management.

She started doing research when she was in Grade 11.