Footwear software for West Bengal's shoe trade

From Kolkata's wholesale lanes to the district counter

Much of the footwear sold in the districts of West Bengal passes through Kolkata's wholesale trade before it reaches a shop shelf in Siliguri, Malda, Raiganj, Balurghat, Berhampore, Krishnanagar, Bardhaman, Durgapur or Asansol. The goods move by the carton, on a transporter's LR, to parties who pay bill by bill. Padam's wholesale side is built for that: set ratios, carton counts, the transporter and LR number on the invoice, and outstanding with ageing for every party.

The retailer at the other end has a different problem: the carton has arrived, and now each pair needs a label, a place on the rack and a price. Padam takes the same purchase in a size grid, prints one label per pair and shows the stock as a colour × size run.

Seasons that decide the year

A shoe shop in Bengal buys for a few peaks: the Chaitra sale before the Bengali new year, Eid, the weeks before Durga Puja, the wedding months and school opening. Padam tags articles by season, compares this Puja's sales with last year's, shows the sizes that sold through, and lists what is still on the shelf afterwards — so that the next order is smaller in the sizes that stayed.

Small makers

The state also has many small units that make chappals, sandals and leather footwear on piece rate. Padam's karkhana side keeps the raw material, the bill of materials, the production stages and each karigar's piece-rate ledger with advances and weekly settlement. See karkhana software.

This page describes the trade in general terms; it quotes no figures.