Inventory Management

I try to give discounts to all my customers. It’s not compulsory that I will give discounts to only a few customers. My strategy is that if I sell products at a fixed price, then customers won’t buy them from me. So, I have to rotate my business and the amount that I am investing in my business without stopping the product sales. I can’t keep the products in stock at my shop. I have to sell products at a discount of 10-15 percent. Once I sell the products that I already have at my shop, I will be able to buy new products. Now, if I talk about products that people are using today, they may not want to use these same products tomorrow as new products are getting launched in the market every day. That’s why I always try to sell the products which I already have in stock. Once I do that, I can buy new products and sell them at my shop. So, this is how I am running my business and my shop.

The most important thing for my business is inventory. So, inventory will come in first place. Customers will come in second place. Staff will come in third place.

Inventory means keeping different types of products in stock. Now, if I keep a wide range of products at my shop, more customers will come to my shop. It will increase the customer flow at my shop. When the customer flow increases, I have to hire more staff to work at my shop and deal with the customers. But if I don't keep a wide range of products at my shop, the customer flow won't increase. In that case, there would be no point in hiring more staff. So, the first thing that I have to do is to invest in products and keep them in stock. Once I have done that, the customer flow at my shop will increase, and then I can hire more staff to work at my shop. Once I have done all these things, I will become a wholesaler.

The thing is, I will purchase products from the vendors first and then keep those products in stock. After that, I will wait for customers to come to my shop and buy those products. I will be able to clear my stock only when customers come to my shop. If I can't clear my stock, there is no point in hiring more staff as I won't be able to pay them. So, it would be good to place the staff in last place. I can deal with the customers by myself. But if I am getting too many customers at my shop, especially during the Durga Puja, I have to hire a few people to work at my shop and deal with all the customers. Even during the off-season, there are times when I get a lot of customers at my shop. So, it's not like I hire staff and let them go. I hire staff on a permanent basis.

Now I do get customers who can't afford to buy expensive products from brands like Lakme. If a customer comes to my shop to buy an aloe-vera gel and they have only 150 rupees in their pocket, I can't make them buy the Lakme aloe-vera gel. I can't sell the Lakme aloe-vera gel to them on a credit basis because I don't know when they are going to pay me back. So, instead of the Lakme aloe-vera gel, I can sell the Astaberry aloe-vera gel to the customer as they can afford to buy this product. In this way, I will be able to satisfy the customer and earn income, which is good for my business. So, this is how I run my business. I don't sell products to the customers on a credit basis. If I do that, I know that they will pay for the products after 2-3 months. I can't wait for 2-3 months to get paid. I have to sell the products in stock, get the money, and buy new products. It's not like the customers will buy products from one brand only. They will buy products from other brands as well. So, I have to buy and keep products from various brands at my shop.

I sell all types of products at my shop. I engage in various types of businesses. I am an agent of ICICI Prudential, and I have passed the IRDA exam. I also provide mediclaim services. Additionally, I am an IRCTC agent, which allows me to use my laptop to book train tickets. The key is to offer a wide range of products at my shop, as customers are more likely to visit a shop that offers a diverse selection. Therefore, I strive to stock my shop with a variety of products so that I can fulfill any customer's request. It is important to me that no customer leaves my shop empty-handed. At Smart Bazaar, you can find a wide range of products, but you cannot book train tickets there. However, at my shop, you can not only purchase all types of products but also book your train tickets. I typically assist older individuals who are unable to visit the railway station to book their tickets.

It has been 2-3 years since the customers have decreased. It was fine. I did not have this much tension back then. Mainly, my shop is closed for most of the time. Items are also fewer. Stock is low. I have not been doing regular business for 3 years. I will open for a month and then close for many days. If I am ill, I will not open for 5-10 days. There has been a slight disturbance for the last 3 years.

I don't have much knowledge about other apps for business. I have fewer items now. I purchased sarees yesterday, but I did not receive those goods. There was an auto strike yesterday. They will be delivered today. I will purchase some readymade items after 8-10 days. Once I have all the items in stock, I will contact all my old customers. They used to come and go back because the items were limited. Once I have all the items in stock, I hope to improve the business. I have a lot of passion but don't know what God's decision is.

If I have enough stock, I won't have a problem with the customers. They will start coming here. If I have a full stock, I believe that customers will come from even 50 km away. I have that confidence. There is no tension in that case. I will feel confident only when the stock is full. Once the business improves, I will also be content.

Yes. I have peak seasons during Diwali, Rakshabandhan, Teeja, Navratri, and Holi. I do small business during festivals. I keep something in the shop during 'Teeja', and I keep 'Abir' during Holi.I keep garlands of God during Diwali and Dusshera. Garlands are available for decorating at home. Stickers and rangoli are also available. Yes. I buy things according to the festivals. I do everything according to 'puja-paath'. I do not do anything extra; I keep something in the shop and not waste it in a year. Sales happen during festivals. But no matter how much we wish, it would never get fulfilled. I am self-satisfied, nice, and healthy. There are no issues.Yes. I have peak seasons during Diwali, Rakshabandhan, Teeja, Navratri, and Holi. I do small business during festivals. I keep something in the shop during 'Teeja', and I keep 'Abir' during Holi.I keep garlands of God during Diwali and Dusshera. Garlands are available for decorating at home. Stickers and rangoli are also available. Yes. I buy things according to the festivals. I do everything according to 'puja-paath'. I do not do anything extra; I keep something in the shop and not waste it in a year. Sales happen during festivals. But no matter how much we wish, it would never get fulfilled. I am self-satisfied, nice, and healthy. There are no issues.

I face a problem in my daily work when I am out of stock. If a customer comes and returns because of the unavailability of material, they face an issue along with me. You come with higher expectations that the material will be available at my place. If it is not available, you get disappointed. It is understood that all materials will be available in the shop. If you get disappointed, we also face an issue. The customer thinks about how they would be able to manage as they have a puja at their home tomorrow. So, I tell them that I will provide the material tomorrow.

At that time, when my husband goes to buy inventory, customers come and we deal with them. I inform the workers about their tasks. I create a list of the products we need and give it to my husband. We restock the goods when their quantity decreases. I instruct him on what to bring based on the customer's demand.

The customers tell us about their preferences and demands. For example, if they want a suit, we ask them about the variety of suits they want: a pant kurta set, a palazzo set, or a frock set. We show them options based on their preferences. No, we don't write it down. We are aware of the current trends. When you go to the market, you will also become aware of the trends. When you go to the market, you can inform the sellers about the type of clothes you want. When we visit the wholesalers, they inform us about the latest trends, such as palazzo suits or pant kurta sets. We stay updated on the current trends. Based on that, we stock our shops with goods.

We keep more daily wear and less party wear. This is because each piece is expensive, costing around Rs. 1500-2000. The fashion for party wear is always changing, so if I get stuck with 2-3 pieces, they become outdated. That's why I don't keep a lot of party wear. Yes, sometimes the clothes don't get sold out. In that case, it is better to sell them at half the price to avoid any loss. At least you can get what you want.

I write about customers' preferences and designs. We write what we desire. There is not just one or two things; there is a lot of variety. So we have to write everything that we want and what is lacking in our shop. We write the colors that we desire. Clothes like pants and leggings are never out of fashion. We have to write the color of everything because everyone forgets once we reach there. When we have to go somewhere, we write what we want and then go to Delhi. I write in my notebook or I WhatsApp it to my husband about what we need. There are many types of leggings, including cheap ones and expensive ones. We consider the colors available in both and then I write down all these things.

I used to take staff with me earlier, but now I go alone. The staff can manage the shop, and I can complete the work there. I know where to buy items and how to get them packed. Now I have a new transporter, so I can get inventory through transport as well. Yes, earlier I didn't used to do this because of that tragedy. But now I have a transporter. The work is completed in a day, and I return home in a day or two by train.

Yes. I keep changing inventory according to the trend in the market, according to that. I go to purchase the products every 2 months. It's not like I buy the same thing every 2 months. I buy something new. Only then will the customer come to me again. If he buys a sari, how will he come to me again? He'll say that I showed this to him last time. That's why I buy something new every 2 months.

I bring less inventory because pure fabric items gets spoilt if we keep it for a longer duration. Yes, if I keep things that are pure, they get spoilt. So I bring such things that gets sold easily and I bring it again for them. I don't wait for 3-4 months and keep a lot of stocks. I purchase the items every 2 months and sell them. I bring a new stock after 2 months and I sell them again then I bring a new one. My kurtis also come from Bombay. I have pure kurtis. I have pure georgette, pure muslin, pure cotton. So everything is pure. I don't have daily purpose kurtis. I don't have kurtis in the range of Rs 200. I want to keep different things so that the customers come to my shop. Customers who don’t wear these things, they don't understand. But those who like to wear, they definitely come in my shop because they get something new which they like it. That's why they come.

Yes. You know, I went to Surat. I went with my husband to see the market and get to know why do people bring so many items from Surat. I bought items from Surat and none of it got sold in my shop. And I couldn't even sell the items. I was ashamed to show them to my customers. I bought them. Many customers come who want a low range and who don't wear expensive clothes. I bought for them. But I couldn't show it to my good customers. And those whom I sold, believe me, everyone returned it to me because after wearing it twice, their pants tear, their stitching opens. And in my suit there is double stitching with interlocking. There is no question of it tearing. This is the difference. I myself checked this difference and I came to know about it. It didn't sell at all. My stuff is completely useless. It doesn't sell at all. I keep it. I take it out. Like a lot of people come who want it at a cheap so I take it out and sell it. To be honest, a lot of my items gets sold and if it will be left then it will be the poor quality ones. So a lot of it gets sold and that’s why I go in every 2 months to get new items. And I don't buy so much that it doesn't sell. I bring them in a way that everything sells off.

We improve our inventory day by day. We keep track of how much was consumed in the last year. That is also recorded in the same tally. I keep it for myself. Employees give it to me on a daily basis on a regular page. Yes. They give me a list of the quantity they have. It will be completed in a few days. I keep track of it on that basis. We do it on a daily basis. Almost all the staff is involved. Staff sometimes faces difficulties with inventory. If there is an issue with the material and there is no space, will they be able to manage it or will I have to tell them to send it to the warehouse.

My laptop has inventory that I manage and use for billing purposes. I have a printer connected to my laptop specifically for billing. I create bills for the items purchased by customers. This helps me keep track of the total sales made in a month and allows me to calculate our profit and loss. I use Tally software to manage this process. It provides information on our best-selling product and the remaining stock. Instead of checking the stock physically at the shop, I can view all the details on my computer. If the stock is low, I can easily place an order for more. It's important to note that customer data is not stored on my laptop. I have other ways to know about the customers. However, I primarily use this software for creating bills. When I create a manual bill, I need to calculate a 9% tax. But with the Tally software, it automatically calculates the tax for me. All I have to do is enter the customer's name, select the products, and the software will display the price. Then, I can simply print the bill.

There is a huge difference when it comes to making manual bills and using technology. One is you are saving on time. You get real data immediately about your stock. If you do manual entries, you would not know about inventory in the godowns. But here on Tally with one click I would have real time data. I would know what products I need to order. It also has payment option, I have linked it directly with my bank. Customers can also make payments online. It has many benefits. It saves time. If you do manual entry and turn on so many pages, it’s a hassle. However, in Tally, I would immediately know which product sold the most or which is not selling or which product is getting old and not sold or fast moving products. It will show your entire business activity.

We also have a retail section. We need to keep both because we have customers for both. So, you need to keep in mind that we have retail as well. If you need a Bajaj induction, and you ask me for it, but I don't have it, you will never come back. That's because the main idea is to have a product mix in our store. A product mix means that we should have all the product lines available. If you come and buy a fan from us, and then you want to buy an induction but we don't have it, you will go to another shop. Your mindset will change and you will end up buying the induction from there too. This is why we are compelled to offer the entire range of products. Yes, we have a lot of stock in the warehouse and at home. Here, we only have 10-20% of the stock. Most of the stock is kept in the upper warehouse, while the lower warehouse is full.

Yes we have their files with us, we note down there when we return the material to the vendor.See this is of Tuli international Pvt. Ltd. This is GST bill. We had placed order to them like this. We have files of all parties separately.

We use an app called Vyapaar for inventory management. It helps us keep track of the items that come in and automatically notifies us about customer requirements. If multiple children come in and ask for the same item, we make sure to keep a record of it. For example, Link's Pentonic pen is a popular seller. Neo2X is another popular brand. We have pens that are priced at Rs. 3, and they sell very well. These pens are disposable and in high demand. Ruff and Spiral Notebook are also top-selling items, so we always make sure to have them in stock. Whenever these pens run out, we either go and restock them or call to have them delivered. We are aware of their popularity and make sure to replenish them in a timely manner. However, we don't directly purchase the Rs. 3 pens. We have local vendors who supply them to us.

There are some books that don't get sold, but if we get them back, that's fine. That's why we keep them. These are school books. This particular book didn't sell, as the kids who wanted to buy it already purchased it in September. If a book doesn't sell, it's a loss for us. However, if it comes back, it's fine. It's gone now, which means it's a loss for us and we have to bear that loss. Unlike books, magazines and chronicles don't get returned. We know that we can sell 100 of them in a month, so we'll only order that quantity. There is a high demand for magazines.

When we started, we had a list from Scholar's Academy, which is a renowned institute that prepares students for the UPSC exams. Following their advice, we gained insight into what items to stock in our shop and what items to sell. They specifically recommended magazines such as Yojana, Kurukshetra, Drishti, Chronicle, Darpan, and Vision IAS. Initially, we started with just 1-2 magazines, but gradually increased the variety to 10, then 20, and now we sell a total of 100 magazines. They informed me about the quality of Laxmikant's work and Ravesh Singh's expertise in economics. They provided me with the entire list and instructed me to retain it. We will inform the children to purchase it. If you retain it, you will be able to sell it. Therefore, we kept it from the beginning. We kept the magazine, as well as the motivational books. We also kept "Agni Ki Udaan" and many other items. Additionally, there is a very famous book called "Dark Horse.”

We don't keep a large inventory of items. Our stock levels are low, and we sell products based on a specific range. We don't maintain a wide variety of stock. Instead, we focus on catering to the needs of our local community. We prioritize selling items that are in demand, such as degrees or competition-related products. However, we do consider the needs of our customers and ensure that all customers are attended to. If a product is available in the market, we can also source it for our customers. However, it's important to note that we don't keep every item in stock.

No I don’t keep the record of the material but I check on the rack, if I find the material less then I place the order. We write the name of the material and number of pieces and place the order with the party. No on simple paper we write the order and place it to the party whose name would be written there.

No, I have not listing on Whatsapp. I have the online number of party’s sales person. I have party’s office number also. When sales person is not available then I place the order with the party office. We have to ask sales person whether this material is available with you or not, if he says no then I have to contact different parties for that material.

I wanted to arrange the set up in the starting only but I was not able to do it. Now I will have to again take up balance stock for the material. There are minor spare parts and in taking up balance stock many days will be consumed, this is the reason I have continued with as it is going on. I will have to feed the entire data in my computer. Daily I will have to add the material if it comes up from the party and minus the material if it gets sold out. I will have to maintain the entire stock now. There are many other works to do so I am not able to pay attention on the stock set up now. In the shop work, in the field work…this is the reason I am not able to maintain the stock set up, it is going on as it is.

If a vehicle is of no use and is scrap, they are lying there in my workshop. Till one limit we are able to return back the spare parts to the dealer. If that limit gets crossed then they are kept lying with us only. Sometime some customer comes up searching for the spare parts, at that time we sell him off that junk lying with us.

Yes, I have to keep everything because some people grow grains in summer, and some people grow wheat, while others grow Chana. Some people only grow vegetables; they don't grow grains. And there are some who only grow grains, like people who don't have much time for farming. So, for grains, you don't have to pay as much attention. But if you grow vegetables, then you have to check on them every day. Yes, I need to keep pesticides because without pesticides, you won't be able to grow anything.

No, I don't tell the farmers what to use to protect the species. The thing is, they already know what to use. With grains, it depends on the weather conditions, whether it's heavy or light. So, we bring whatever they demand. Sometimes, some varieties do well and some don't, so we have to adjust accordingly. Ankur company's grains are performing very well in the market. No, there are no challenges, but sometimes we face problems like when a farmer is unable to grow a proper harvest. In such cases, we inform the company, and they solve the problem. If a particular variety is not good and doesn't grow or has stunted growth, we inform the company, and they send their people to check it. They also provide reimbursement in such cases.

Yes, you need an inventory; you need it anyway, and in this business, you have to make a big investment. We keep checking the expiry dates. We know that this will expire after this many months, so then we return it; you can return it. They take it back. But you have to return it before it expires. Because I can’t keep expired products in my shop. Because what if some big officer comes here or something, and I don’t give expired products to the customers as well.

Yes, I have to focus on the shop during the day because I have to maintain the stock and sales for the day. It is manual only. Yes, I have a stock register. I have to update the stock daily. Every day, sometimes it gets delayed by a day or two as well if I don't get time, but I have to keep it updated. They can visit us anytime. The Kurshi Adhikari comes here. He checks everything. He can visit my shop anytime, it is not fixed, so, I have to keep it updated.

During peak times, I keep stock at the shop. However, during other times, I only get a few items from the market on a daily basis. For example, if I go to the market and the total is Rs.100, the company will give me Rs.80, and I pay Rs.75 to the shop in the market . That's it. There are very few companies in the market, and they don't know me. All the shopkeepers come there to buy, including the wholesale shopkeepers. Yes, it's in Itwari. They can get everything at a lower rate. So, the same company gives us something for Rs.10, we get it for Rs.8, and we get it for Rs.7 at the market. That's why we prefer to buy from there. Today, if I make Rs.10, Rs.20, Rs.20, Rs.50, I can save Rs.200 or even Rs.300. I learned all this before the lockdown, at least 5 years ago. That's why I don't buy from the company; I buy directly from the market. There are many shops in the market, not just one. Yes, there are many shops, or I can call them and they will get it for me. I am currently buying from one shop, but another shop called me and made a bill. This way, I can get it quickly without wasting time.

I maintain a record of the morning's sales, which is important to me. In fact, I have a brother. Previously, I used to arrive late after dropping off my kids at school. They used to inform me about what items were selling and what remained unsold. It is crucial for me to remember this information. I jot down the unsold items and bring them back. I also record the items that were not sold. My brother maintains a separate diary for this purpose. Additionally, I maintain my own separate diary. I make sure to bring in the items that were not sold and fulfill customer demands.

I have a computer to keep track of the customers. I use the software. This is by Okay Pharma. This is for the inventory. These are the sale details as well. No apps are not needed for this software. If there is any difficulty then I manage, because there are risks involved. I see it online. I call the software people in case of a problem. We have to call them and they tell us. I have purchased this. It is about 7000 rupees. Then they have yearly renewal charges for it.

No, this is the market purchase bill that goes into the inventory, and I have to enter it manually. We can also do it through emails, but then the bills submitted via email don't go through. Sometimes, there are new products that are not entered, but in this software, you can add them manually. It has a built-in method where you can enter up to 100 units. Otherwise, it causes a problem with the quantity. Suppose we enter 5 units of these pack of 15 tablets, then it makes it 75. They will show it as 750, so such issues are shown, that is why it is better to enter them manually. Yes in this strip there are 15 tablets, and if I get 5 strips, here I have taken just 2 strips that makes it 30, but here when I make the entry it should show me the stock of 30, but here it is something else. If there is a pack of 100, then it will show 200. Yes this is the drawback, that is why, it is better to get it done manually here.

Inventory depends on the prescription. They have PSR, antacids, liquids, cough syrups, and there are seasonal medicines too. For example, there is dengue, malaria, typhoid, and flu. We have more medicines for typhoid and dengue, as well as antibiotics and painkillers. Paracetamol is also available. There are medicines for children, such as cough syrup. During the rainy season, there is also diarrhea, so we have ORS liquid, ORS powder, tablets, and pediatric liquids for loose motions. All of these need to be kept according to the season. We also have medicines for dysentery and diarrhea. Additionally, we have medicines for jaundice and typhoid, as we know that this is the season for them and people will come with these conditions. Therefore, we need to make arrangements for these medicines regardless.

Yes, I am planning to open up more shops. Now I want to open up a very big shop with four shutters at Sugat Nagar. It belongs to my mother-in-law. The shop has 4 shutters, so I am planning to set up 4 departments on the 4 shutters. One would be homeopathic, the second would be cosmetics. Below there would be 4 shutters and upstairs 2 chambers would be doctor. In one chamber meeting room and in other chamber doctor’s OPD. And there will be one waiting room for the patients. I would need 30-35 lakhs for setting up this type of business. 10 lakhs would be set up the departments and then medicine’s stock, cosmetic’s stock and other products. For arranging medicines and other stuffs I would need 10-15 lakhs. My loan EMIs would end in January and after that I will plan for the next loan.

I store stock here, and I have a friend who lives in Besa. If she needs something, she takes it from here and sells it door-to-door.

Next is stock. I need to keep all products in my shop. If I don't keep products in the shop, customers will not come. If I have products, customers will come to my shop. So, next is the customer. I need to have good behavior with customers. Next, if I can invest more in my shop, this shop will run well. Since I am there to help her, staff is not required throughout the year.

We strive to maintain a unique collection in this competitive market. If a product is not available in other shops, it should be available in mine. I have a variety of sets, but I also have many unique collections. The number of unique products you can keep in your shop determines this. For example, if the MRP of a product is 340 and another shopkeeper is selling it for 320, I can sell it for 5 rupees less and the customer will buy it from me. This also makes a difference. The wholesale market is located in one place and everyone goes there. When I go, the shopkeepers from my neighboring shops also go there, and we meet there. We all purchase from the same market. From there, we buy 5 different items from 5 different shops. I bought products from 5 or 6 shops, while he bought products from 2 shops.

We try to keep unique items in the shop. That's why I said, "Suppose you have gone to two shops and I have gone to three shops. He has gone to 6 shops." The wholesalers also purchase the products from somewhere. Some of them collect from Bombay; some collect from Delhi or Kolkata. Some bring the collection from Delhi and some take the collection from Kolkata. Now, not all people keep all kinds of items. If I find something unique, I buy it. What he thinks is unique, he also buys. One factor is price, and the other is goodwill. You should have goodwill and good behavior.

Yes. I use this notebook roughly. I write down what people buy so that I can maintain the stock. Then we note how much we have to spend daily. I write the credit of customers in another notebook. I also write the names of customers. For example, if anyone takes a product worth 500 on credit, I write it in that notebook. I write everything here. If I get someone's phone number, I write it here. I write how much I could sell daily. I write what I told to whom. Some company people provide products here, so I have to make their payment weekly. I keep daily calculations on it. I save the numbers on my mobile. On the due copy, I write "due" and on the sale copy, I write "sale."

I have not considered selling online yet because it requires GST and other requirements that I currently do not have. If I find that there are no other options, I will have to consider it. You need to have GST for Amazon and Meesho in order to sell. Since I do not have GST at the moment, I would not be able to manage this. If I realize that it is not possible without selling online, then I will have to go for it. Selling online requires maintaining the stock fully. Wholesale companies and retail companies can do online business. For example, the price of a particular design is displayed as 24-36, which means the seller can sell as many as they can get within that range. Once the collection is finished, we will obtain it. Then the collection will also be finished.

That bangles, creams, and other cosmetic products have grown slowly. At first, I didn't have much of these. I used to keep what I thought customers would need. Then, when customers came and asked for more, I started keeping one pack of each. I found that they were sold so fast, so I started getting 10 packs of each. That's how I maintained the stock and had an idea of what I would need. The Kajal would always be needed, so I made sure to have it in stock. I also kept various varieties.

The stuff that my customer is going to get from me - and for me, the next important thing is the goods from the vendor because if I don't have things taken from him, then I cannot get customers.

I need to determine what will sell and whether I will be able to sell it or not. For example, for this product that is usually used in large quantities, I will have to buy at least 10 kilograms. However, this morning I had the first customer who only wants 50 grams, and I know that nobody needs such a small amount except for Pooja's requirements. Since this morning, I haven't had many customers. Maybe there will be a total of ten customers throughout the day, which means that only 500 grams will sell and the rest will spoil. If I have a couple of customers asking for the same product, then I try to bring it because I know it will sell and I see that people are searching for it.

At night, I review the total sales and make calculations to determine whether it is 5000 or 6000. This helps me determine how much I can spend on purchasing more stocks for the shop. If I have sales worth 7000-8000, I try to allocate amounts like 500 for repayment and use the remaining funds to buy additional products. This is necessary as I need to purchase from both the distributor and the wholesaler to maintain stock. Although I don't write anything down, I am aware of the amount of money in my cash counter. If I don't have enough money, I won't be able to keep track. Therefore, I ensure that I keep the money in the cash counter so that I can easily monitor it.

Company has 3000 colors, and that's why we have the machine. It is not possible to carry 3000 colors in the shop, so the company has provided us with raw materials in containers. We use these raw materials to make color here. The color is produced in this machine and then mixed in the container.

I have items in my shop based on what you want, such as a sari or a handkerchief. You can also find vests, innerwear, and underwear for both men and women. I have it all. I also have bedsheets. I have items for small children and people aged around 40-45 years or so. I also have lungis and dhotis for the elderly. The customer doesn't have to leave disappointed. Usually, you don't find everything in one place. A shop selling saris would only sell saris. If it sells dhotis, then it would only sell dhotis. What I have done is sell everything. If they want a dhoti, pant, or anything else for that matter, they can find it all here, in one shop. I have done this based on the customers' requirements. I listened to them and stocked up accordingly because I am their neighborhood shopkeeper. They would rather come and pick something up at my shop than spend money on traveling to another place. They say it's better to get it from me.

I write down whatever is running out in the store. If the vests run out while I am giving one to someone, I write it on a piece of paper and restock it as soon as I can. I write it down and maintain it this way as it is a very small shop, a neighbourhood shop.

I am upset that I have received a lot of goods... I have to pay back a lot of people, and I am not making enough sales... then there are these rains... How do I manage?

We note down how much we sold ourselves. How much is sold out accordingly. We note down in the notebook. Whatever inventory we have, it is all here only. And if something goes down, we note that down immediately. If something gets over, we note it down.

We selected Asian Paints because it is the best among all paints. That's why. Earlier, we used to sell products from 2-3 different companies. However, we noticed that the sales of Asian Paints were higher. This is one point. Additionally, the quality of Asian Paints is superior compared to other companies. That's why we decided to remove all other companies and only focus on Asian Paints. Asian Paints is much better. Previously, we used to sell Gautam and other brands. Before that, we sold Berger. Asian Paints has been available in our shop since the beginning.

Customers only tell us what products they like. Customers' choice is our choice. Today, one customer comes for one product, and tomorrow another customer will come for the same product. Observing this, we select the products to keep in the shop.

Some customers who generally buy for Rs 200/ or so, some buy for around Rs 2000/ and leave. I will keep the stock, so I will make sure everything is stocked, like from online and other sources, I will buy and keep everything stocked by Saturday. The other days will be as usual.

In order to decide what to keep in the shop, I consider different factors. Firstly, I keep a maximum quantity of items that are in the medium price range, as these are popular among customers. Additionally, some people specifically ask for higher priced items, as they believe that lower priced items may have lower quality. To cater to these customers, I set aside 5-6 items that fall into this category. Ultimately, I base my inventory decisions on the specific demands of the customers.

Maybe 1 or 2 of them we weren't able to sell. In the beginning, around 10-12 pieces of the product were sold, but I purchased 25 of them. As they expired, I had to throw them away. There was wastage in the initial stage.Most suppliers don't accept returns. However, some items can be returned within 15 days before their expiry dates. Unfortunately, we have overlooked the expiry dates of certain items, resulting in their wastage. Now we have started maintaining it correctly. We check the dates accordingly. Sometimes the supplier will give us items that are already 3 months away from the expiry stage. In such cases, I simply return those items back to them. If we don't pay attention to all of this, it will be a waste for us.

So, most of the time, the types of items we keep are liked by everyone. For example, Beedi items are popular among Bengalis, as they bought 10 packets yesterday. There will be different items that they will like, so I will buy all of those and keep them. They also bought 10L of oil yesterday for their festival in Bengal. They bought all of that and went home.

Limited shelf-space and deciding what brands or phones to stock used to be an concern in the past. It all depends on market demand. The Karamadai store is the largest compared to the rest, and it even has CCTV. These are considered substantial stores. Initially, when I started, every store was considered sizable, and we had separate racks for various brands. Nowadays, there's less demand.

Something that could be improved is if things are sold on time and in large quantities. It would be good if we don't say that our stock is low when people come to buy things. If we forget to buy stock, we have to say no to them. If we don't have the items, we have to say no to them. Sometimes we forget to buy, but then we remember and stock up on those items. It can be any item. I make a note of the item that is not in stock and when my husband goes to the market, he gets it.

We buy new packs of the stock only when the old packs are sold out. We generally buy only 5 packs. They are usually sold out within a week. Then we restock them again the following week. If they ask for a new product and that product is not there, we ask them to come next day or in the evening. By that time, we buy that item and store it in our shop.

Vendors give us a lower rate. We add one or two profits and sell. Since we opened this shop, we have been purchasing from them exclusively. They are the only wholesale shop in this area. We buy items like mixture and murukku from another shop. I buy vegetables from the mandi market. He goes to the market at about 5 AM and comes back at 6.30 AM. We buy only 1 or 2 kgs of vegetables. We don't sell them in large quantities; we sell them at a fixed price. One bundle for 10 rupees. We measure and keep them as bundles. We keep them pre-packed and then customers take whatever they want. We buy all the vegetables like carrots and beans. We try to sell the entire lot. If we are unable to sell, we give them away to people in need.

We buy milk daily. Generally, we have an idea of how much we need. If there is an event, we may need more. If it runs out, we buy an extra 2 liters the next day. If we have too much stock, we try to finish the old stock and buy less for the next day. After finishing the stock, we start fresh again the next day with 10 liters. Sometimes sales are very low, especially during rainy days, and we may not have any packets to give to customers. We buy around 20 to 25 liters in different quantities such as 250 ml, 500 ml, and 1 liter. My husband buys fruits from the market, mostly in raw form. Once they ripen, we hang them. Some of them I sell in bulk.

Yes, we can replace the damaged items. We should replace them immediately. If there is just one odd number, we have to adjust it. If we are unable to sell it, then we can get it changed.

Customers return items. We cannot talk back to them when the mistake is ours. We only buy 3 to 5 kgs. If it has worms or insects, then we have to take it back. Mostly, we don't face this problem because we don't buy in large quantities. We buy once weekly, and the next stock is bought only when it runs out.

We buy the number of pieces based on the size demand. Sizes 8 and 9 are in higher demand. It also depends on the area. In this area, they ask for size 8. If we get it as a set, we buy extra pieces of sizes 8 and 9. We buy 1 set of 10, 1 set of 6, and 1 set of 7.

To improve the shop we have to get as much stock as possible today itself and I have to sell (old stock) at as low as I possibly can. We keep thinking about what we can do to bring more customers and what kind of stock we can buy.

We try to sell unsold stock at a lower cost. There are people who sell things on the platform, they come buy things in a lot and they will give you an offer of 50 rupees. If I give it to them at 50 rupees I will get no benefit. If I get regular customers and I give the same discount to them I will find some benefit at least. So why should I give it to these platform sellers. Our regular customers will be happy that I sold this to them. They will come back to me the next day thinking that I gave him a good price. If I give it to them it is a problem.

Suppose if the item is not good, again you have to send it back and buy again and it takes a lot of time. If a customer comes, you have to give it to him. I have taken an order to deliver tomorrow, so I have to give it to them compulsorily. If the item is not good, again we have to send it back. Customers will feel we said already and the response is not proper. I  try to go outside. I will go to town and it will take a maximum of half an hour to one hour. They will send me an item but the customer will say they didn't like it. I will have to incur the extra charges like courier charges. So 20% of the purchases I do online. If I go by person and purchase it is convenient and I face no problem.