Store negosyo: retail business types and what you may sell

Retail business types, from fewest to most extra permits

The rule every store shares: price tags

DTI enforces Consumer Act Art. 81, which requires price tags, labels or markings on consumer products sold at retail, with fines of ₱200 to ₱5,000, one to six months in prison, or both. Under the Price Act, selling a basic necessity or prime commodity without a price tag is prima facie evidence of profiteering.^[1]

A convenience store may use shelf pricing instead of tagging each item, but only if it issues itemized receipts and has at least one price verification counter.^[5]

What each product line adds

Each line above comes from the kits for sari-sari, hardware, perfume, meat shop and buy and sell. Drop a product line and you drop its permit.^{[6 sources]}

• Cigarettes: no sales within 100 metres of a school or public playground, no sales to minors, and a posted notice saying so.
• Vapes and heated tobacco: buyers must be 18 or older, checked with a valid government photo ID.
• Household pesticides: possibly an FPA licence, with the fee set by FPA.
• Wood preservative in a hardware store: ask FPA about a licence and its fee.
• Cosmetics and perfume: distributing without an FDA License to Operate is prohibited.
• Meat: buy from an NMIS-certified supplier and keep its certificate.
• Secondhand goods: a police clearance before selling items from unlicensed sources.

Stores that need a licensed professional

A pharmacy can sell medicines only as an FDA-licensed retail drug outlet. Outlets selling prescription medicines must be under the direct and immediate control of a registered, licensed pharmacist. That makes the pharmacist the first person you need to find, before the lease.^[6]

A pet shop needs a BAI certificate of registration before the mayor's permit. BAI's 2024 charter lists ₱500 for the initial one-year registration and ₱1,500 for a three-year renewal, and the file includes the facility veterinarian's PRC licence.^[8,7]

Retail franchises with published figures

If you would rather run a branded store, the PFA directory lists Alfamart at "2M" and Lawson at "Php 1.3M-5M". For rice retail, Grainsmart is listed at "Php 350,000".^[12,13,14]

These are the brands' own listed figures, not our estimates, and older listings may have changed. Ask for the current amount and what it covers in writing.

Questions people ask

Do sari-sari stores need price tags?

Yes. Consumer Act Art. 81 requires price tags on consumer products sold at retail, and DTI cites fines of ₱200 to ₱5,000 and possible jail time.

Can my store sell cigarettes near a school?

No. RA 9211 bans the sale of tobacco products within 100 metres of any point of a school or public playground perimeter.

Do I need a pharmacist to open a drugstore?

Yes, if you sell prescription medicines. RA 10918 requires the direct and immediate control of a registered, licensed pharmacist.

Which store negosyo needs the fewest permits?

Motor and auto parts and hardware stores list four extra items each. Price tags apply to both. The rest depend on what you stock: a police clearance for parts from unlicensed suppliers, or an FPA licence for wood preservative and household pesticides.