Beginning Essmart’s Inventory Experiment in Pollachi, Southern Tamil Nadu, India
Diana Jue traveled to India to implement Essmart. Essmart is an essential technology distributor with an in-store presence. Currently, essential technologies such as bicycle-powered machines, affordable solar lanterns, and smokeless cook stoves designed for the bottom of the pyramid are not well distributed. Essmart combines process innovations in product sourcing, distribution, marketing, and after-sales service to bring essential technologies to their intended end-user through rural retail stores. As part of their pilot phase in southern India, two rural shop owners sold all of our 17 demonstration products within one week
BLOGGING FROM THE FIELD
January 24, 2012
This was an exciting day for Essmart. The inventory experiment begins (although on a very limited scale)! In the morning, we met with our students to demonstrate the different products. Afterward, they gathered more products from Prashanth’s car and went off, two by two, to two different stores. In the stores, they demonstrated the products and hung up the Essmart banner.
Update: Our 17 items sold out from the two stores within one week! Store owners have been calling Prashanth and one of our student workers for more products. This is wonderful news for Essmart, and it confirms our idea about advertising through a paper catalogue and demonstration products in rural stores.
This entry was posted on Monday, June 18th, 2012 at 11:37 am. It is filed under Business and Marketing, International, Reports from the field and tagged with entrepreneurship, Fellowships, India, rural communities.
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