Online Traditional Footwear Store

is really concentrating on traditional footwear that can be used in auspicious moments. Small players sell individual ethnic footwear but none has got extensive collection of all the varieties of traditional Indian footwear.

This particular footwear segment can be distinguished as ‘Royal Auspicious Footwear Segment’.

This idea focuses on ethnic footwear used specifically in Indian traditional functions & festivals. Footwear bought in such traditional functions is generally of superior quality & hence of high cost (Rs 700 & above).

Indian footwear market is expected to reach Rs. 38,700 Crore (US $ 7.75 Billion) by 2015. It is growing with a rate of 15% per year.

In India, marriages & other traditional functions are celebrated extensively. Since these traditional functions are symbol of the family status & its position in the society, people are open to spend more money on such functions.

In India, around 1.5 Crore (15 Million) marriages take place every year. India’s population in 2012 has reached 1.22 billion. Out of the total population, 704 million people are below the age 30. So, the number 15 million can be justified. Let us assume that out of 15 million marriages, Indian ethnic footwear is bought only in 5 lakh marriages. We can safely assume this number to be 4 pairs per marriage hence the total ethnic footwear pairs sold only in marriages could be,

5,00,000 * 4 = 20 Lakh pairs/year.

Let us consider that the average price per footwear used in marriage is Rs 700/-

Hence, the total ethnic footwear market size reaches to – 20 Lakh * (Rs.) 700/Pair = 140,00,00,000

(Rs. 140 Crore…!!! i.e. US $25.5 Million)

Note: Conversion rate assumed throughout this article is Rs. 50 = US $1

Remember, we have considered minimum prices. Moreover this is just about marriages in India. Ethnic footwear is sold throughout the year on occasion of several other traditional functions & festivals. Almost every middle class, higher middle class & higher class household in India has at least one pair of ethnic footwear. Also, a fashion trend can be seen within youngsters who prefer Indian ethnic footwear along with their western outfits.

Future prospects for this business are bright. In 2012, India’s population between ages 0-4 is 124 million. So, there is a plenty of scope for doing good business in future as well.

You can emerge as a big organized player in Indian traditional footwear segment. Indian ethnic footwear industry is mostly dominated by many small regional unorganized manufacturers. There are few big organized players like Bata. But the potential of ‘Royal Auspicious footwear segment’ is still overlooked by big players. There isn’t any famous (like Nike, Woodland) & promising ‘Brand’ for Indian traditional footwear.

Along with the moderate to high price footwear, the store can also sell low price (Rs. 250 to 700) ethnic footwear for day to day use.

Production – In India, ethnic footwear is produced mostly by small manufacturers which include artisans and families. This is hand crafted footwear. There are many families which are into this business for several generations. These craftsmen have talent to produce quality footwear but they lack innovation, marketing & standardization.

The best way to produce Traditional footwear for selling on e-commerce website is to have association with such small family businesses. These skilled businesses can supply your e-commerce business with ethnic footwear. Also, in order to have variety, it will be necessary to have tie-ups with several such vendors in various regions of India.

Quality – Quality is extremely important to create your ‘Brand’. Quality can be achieved by standardizing all the processes, by using good quality raw material & Innovative design. An ‘Acceptance Criteria’ can be set to procure the products from vendors.

Innovation & Creativity – In today’s cut throat competition, no business can be successful without innovative & creative outlook. A dedicated team of designers can design ethnic footwear considering the requirements from buyers. Latest fashion trends can be set by blending traditional & modern footwear designs.

Features – following features can be provided by website,

Search – Search functionality can be provided on the basis of following search criteria,
- Footwear type
- Indian State
- Type of festival/function/occasion
- Price range
- Flat or High/Medium/Low heels
- Heel height
- Size
- Type of raw material (e.g. Leather, synthetic etc.)
- Color
Shopping cart, Online payment & Cash on Delivery option
If buyer is not sure about the size then different sizes of the same design can be shown to the buyer during home delivery so that the buyer can choose the right size (This is important because this footwear will be mainly used for auspicious events & everything has to be perfect!)
360 degree view of the selected ethnic footwear can be provided
Footwear matching option can also be provided in which images of the men & women ethnic wear can be displayed with various verities & colors. Buyer can match the selected footwear with his/her chosen ethnic wear by providing drag & drop functionality for the footwear image
Customized footwear option can also be provided wherein the buyer will select his/her footwear type, color & design. Such customized (or Designer) footwear can be charged more