Half a million pesos moves you from stalls to fixed retail footprints—mini-marts, specialty hardware, water refill stations, or hybrid sari-sari with cold chain. Rent and inventory discipline decide survival.
Branded water refill + accessories, neighborhood mini-mart (not full supermarket), construction consumables counter, pet supplies shop, or Korean/Chinese specialty grocery targeting expat pockets in BGC and Makati.
Fit-out and refrigeration can consume 40% of budget. Negotiate 1-month deposit where possible and finance slow-moving SKUs through supplier terms after track record is built.