An online store for local retailers

Why a shop of your own, not just a marketplace

Marketplaces bring customers but take commission, set the rules and own the customer relationship. A store of your own is for the customers you already have and those nearby who search for you: regulars who want to reorder, people who saw your shop and want to check prices, and customers you share links with on WhatsApp. It complements the shop, it does not replace it.

What to list first

Do not try to put 5,000 items online on day one. Start with:

• Your 100–200 best sellers, with clear photos and correct names.
• Items people ask about on the phone most often.
• Seasonal ranges you want to push, such as coolers before summer or lights before Diwali.

For items whose price depends on quantity or negotiation, such as building materials or furniture, show them with "price on request" so customers can enquire. Items you do not want visible can be hidden without being deleted.

Photos and descriptions that sell

• Shoot on a plain background with daylight; a phone camera is enough.
• Show the product from two angles and, where size matters, next to something familiar.
• Write the name customers use, not your internal code. "Ceiling fan 1200 mm, white" beats "CF-1200-WH".
• Add the two or three facts people ask on the phone: size, warranty, colour options.

Payments and delivery

Decide a delivery radius and charges before you go live. Many local stores deliver free above a set order value within a few kilometres and charge beyond it.

GST and invoicing

An online order is still a sale and needs the same invoice as a counter sale, with GST based on the place of supply. If you sell only through your own website, the rules for e-commerce operators who collect tax at source apply to marketplaces, not to you selling directly; still, confirm your position with your CA, especially if you also sell on marketplaces. See the GST for e-commerce sellers guide. This is general information, not tax advice.

Keeping stock and orders in one place

The most common failure is a store that shows items you no longer have. If the store's item list is typed separately from your billing system, it falls out of date within weeks. The store should read items from your main item master, and every online order should become a normal order in your books, so the counter and the website never sell the same last piece twice.

Running the store day to day

An online store needs a daily routine, not a one-time setup. Assign one person to:

• Check new orders every morning and after lunch, and confirm each by phone or WhatsApp.
• Update hidden items when stock runs out, and unhide them when it returns.
• Add photos for new arrivals within a week of receiving them.
• Note what customers ask that is not online, and add the most requested items.

Track a few numbers monthly: orders received, their value, the share cancelled, and how many came from repeat customers. If most orders are from existing customers, the store is working as a convenience; to reach new buyers, push the link harder in the neighbourhood.

Getting the first customers

1. Share the store link on your WhatsApp status and with regular customers.
2. Print a QR code with the link at the counter and on bills.
3. Add the link to your online map and business listings, and to your shop signage.
4. When a customer asks a price on the phone, send the item's link instead of typing the answer.

A store built from your Tally items

Cashflow OS offers a hosted online store at shop.cashflowos.in/your-name, built from your Tally items. Customers can order as guests, each order has its own page by link, and products can be hidden or marked "price on request". Payment goes through your business's own payment gateway, or you can use cash on delivery or agreed terms. It is a module switched on per company. See online store and online catalogue.