What are the marketing tips for a saree/sari business that I started at home?

Question

I am a home maker. I started the business of saree/sari at home. But I am finding it difficult to get customers. The saree prices range from Rs.250 to Rs.2500. How do I make people know about this business without incurring much expenses on advertising.

Answer 1

Saree business in general is highly competitive and low margin business, I do not know on what assumption you entered into this business. Any business depends upon demand and supply, in Saree business at present supply is more naturally you find it difficult to sell the Saree's. Shift to some other service oriented business rather than products. If at all you would like to buy and sell enter into snack foods. This is my suggestion only if you really want to continue your saree business mail me with existing products and other details so that I can help you.

Answer 2

I am giving you suggestion by my own experience,\

1)  Treat customers greatly in shop.

2)  Suggest Price range according to the customers need

3)  Give Sarees for instalment basis.  Which will indirectly   advertise your business very well in the market.  But you must choose first the customers genunity

4)  First Advertise personally in direct (in your rest time) contact by door by door in your street, after that you do advertise in near by streets.

5)  Anounce Discount for bulk Purchase.

6)  Appoint your legal Tailors (Good Trained & experienced) for best result.

Like this many ideas are there.  First try these & convey me the result.

Answer 3

TIPS

1) Good selection

2) Purchase at every fortnight for new designs

3) Visit family friends, childrens school, husbands friends

4) Mouth publicity

5) Local area choice

Answer 4

If you don’t have a budget for small advertising, then you need to be creative. Setting up a web site is a good idea, but only if you have the kind of inventory and logistics.

Now I would suggest you a different method. First, decide to whom you want to sell. Select a target market. Don’t try to sell to all people and all type of sarees. Don’t keep sarees from Rs.250 to 2500. Stick to just a small range. Either the lower range, or the middle range or the upper range. Not a mix. You will know why this is important when you read further.

If you decide you will sell only to one particular kind of customers (housewives, society ladies, upper middle class, office goers, teachers, wives of senior executives, south Indians, Panjabis, North Indians, Bengalis, Gujaratis, etc, etc- the possibilities for a target group is unlimited...but select only one, not all), then it is very easy for you to get references and recommendations from this group. So the first step is to decide your target market. For the time being just select only one group. As the business grows, you can start to sell to other groups.

Now you need to decide what to sell and at what range. Meet some ladies belonging to your group. Ask them what kind of sarees they prefer/ buy and what range. Ask them if they will be interested if you show them some latest designs in this type. If your range is higher, ask them if they will pay a little more if they see true value. Most people will agree. Ask their help for your business. This is very important. Don’t be shy. Just tell them you need their help in your business. In return, you will promise them what they want in high quality and reasonable prices.

When you have spoken to at least 15/20 people in the group, you will get an idea of what kind of sarees they buy and at what range. You will also get an assurance of their purchase, if you meet their criteria. Now, all that you do is make good on your promise. Show them the sarees (of their type and range, of course). Be flexible about payment in the beginning. Tell them, you take it now, pay it later, or pay it in two installments. Give them a free surprise gift- it could be a blouse piece, or something simple as toffees for the kids.

After few customers have bought, telephone them (or meet them personally) and check whether they really liked what they bought. Offer to exchange if they did not like it, or if they want to see if something new has come. Most people will not exchange, but they will appreciate your gesture. Send them a thank you card and let them know how much you appreciate their business.

Once you have generated some happy customers, ask them for some references. Don’t ask them when you sell them, this is very important. Ask only after you know that they enjoy what they have purchased. Contact those people immediately and tell them who has referred you to them. Give feedback to the person referred. Give the person who has given you reference a surprise gift, if possible.

The core principles behind this exercise is this: Decide whom to sell, what to sell and at what range; ask the people from the group what they want to buy; give them those things with exceptional service, thank them and when they feel happy about their purchase ask for references. Your business will grow.  Keep in touch with all those people. Write to them personal letters occasionally to remind them of their help and to inform them about new arrivals.

Forget about supply/ demand equations and margins. Two businesses making the least margins are restaurants and groceries. Yet you will see more restaurants and groceries coming up. Supply/ demand problems are for those people selling everything to all people. When you specifically target a particular customer group and sell only what they want, you are not affected by over supply. Let me illustrate. If you sell sarees of all range and types to all people, then your sales will be affected by supply and demand. But say, you sell “trend setting kitty party sarees to wives of Gujarati business men in the range Rs. 3000 to 4000”, how many other shops compete with you? Virtually no one. And when a Gujarati upper class housewife decides to buy trendy saree for her kitty party, which supplier she will call first? Do you have any doubt?

Answer 5

The best way of advertising is through word put in by your customers. You can put up a notice of saree sale at the entrance of your street. contact your child' friends' parents and friends.

Answer 6

USE YELLOW PAGE / SULEKHA / FREE ADS / ETC ETC

Answer 7

online....u have to have contects with a lot of pakistani.indian people because sari is basically there dress code....so know both pakistani and indian people in ur city and have information online and u can also leave the information about ur sari's @ a pakistani/indian store( u kno they have different store other then normal american stores) and leave information @ pakistani and indian restuarant and have them give every one a brocuher or a card.....online pakistani/indian MB,chat rooms and all.u never know this is a small world and i would suggests to display some of ur stuff @ some of the pakistani/indian stores so people know what they are looking @ and have some just there to sell....the shop keeper can get some profit too..in the beggining u have to do something about the prices..try to buy stuff @ cheap stores in bulk (cloth,thread) so its cheaper so peopel would feel more comfortable spending 100$ instead of a 250$ on a sari that they would wear once or twice in USA..