1. Increasing Street Vendor Profitability
Kartar Nagar, Punjab, India | 6 months, 2009 - 2010
Insights:
- Capital and transport constraints limit
inventory salesman can keep on
hand.
- Approx. 30% of productive time lost
in travel to purchase materials.
- ~8-9 hours spent every 3-4 days to
acquire materials.
Overview:
I built a social enterprise to improve the
incomes of 20 street vendors who sell
kitchenware and gardening products.
Grounded in extensive user research, our
intervention, a warehouse business sold
over $6000 of goods, and significantly
improved vendor income.
1.#Cycle#12km#
to#wholesale#
market#
2.#Purchase#
goods,#balance#
on#bike#
3.Sell#goods#
1.#Purchase#Goods#
from#warehouse#
2.#Sell#goods#
Existing Model Warehouse Model

2. Benefits to Street Vendors:
- 43% Increase in vending time!
- 15% decrease in product prices
- Higher Quality Products
- Lending: Allow vendors to take up to Rs.
1500 ($35) worth or product on credit.!
Solution: Establish a bulk warehouse in the village to provide local vendors
the option to purchase less expensive products nearby.
1.#Weekly#bulk#
purchase#from#
manufacturers#
2.#Transport#
goods#to#village#
3.#Stock#
supplies#in#
warehouse#
4.#Vendors#
purchase#
directly#from#
warehouse#
Vendors from neighboring villages coming to
purchase from our warehouse.
Kartar Singh making
the first sale.
Joginder Singh
keeping accounts.