A distributor supplies jewellery shops, cosmetic and bangle stores, saree showrooms and boutiques in a territory. It is a relationship business built on range, reliability and credit. Here is how established distributors usually build theirs.
1. Pick a territory you can serve well
Start with an area you can visit regularly: your city and nearby towns, or a district cluster. Map the retailers: jewellery shops, bangle stores, bridal boutiques, saree shops and cosmetic stores that carry jewellery.
2. Understand what the territory buys
Visit shops and ask what sells. Note:
- Styles: temple, Kundan, AD, oxidised, antique, regional
- Price points that move fastest
- Seasonal peaks: weddings, local festivals
- Gaps: what retailers cannot get reliably
3. Build a focused range
Start with a range you can stock deeply rather than hundreds of thin designs. A typical starting mix: bridal sets, necklace sets, earrings, bangles, and a festival line suited to your region.
4. Choose suppliers
- Manufacturers for your core, high-volume designs at factory rates
- Wholesalers for slow-moving or experimental lines at small quantities
Buying core designs direct from a factory at 200+ units per design gives you the margin to offer retailers credit and still profit.
5. Register and set up properly
- GST registration
- Business bank account
- Simple accounting for stock and receivables
- Storage that keeps stock dry and organised
6. Set your credit policy
Retailers will ask for credit. Decide your terms before you start: credit period, limits per retailer, and what happens with late payments. Most distributor failures are credit failures, not product failures.
7. Create a catalogue for retailers
Use a WhatsApp Business catalogue or PDF with your own codes and prices. Keep the manufacturer's codes on file for re-orders.
8. Build a visit rhythm
Visit key retailers on a fixed cycle. Bring new designs, collect orders and payments, and take back feedback on what sells.
9. Plan inventory by season
Order ahead of peaks. Keep safety stock of top sellers. Clear slow stock before it tarnishes.
10. Grow with exclusives
Once you have volume, work with your manufacturer on designs exclusive to your territory. That protects your margin from competitors selling the same pieces.
What it takes to start with a manufacturer
At Jagruti, MOQ is 200 pcs per design (400 for earrings and pendants), and typical first orders from our clients range from 1,000 to 5,000 units across designs. If your volume is still smaller, start with a wholesaler and move your bestsellers to the factory as they grow. See imitation jewellery for wholesalers and distributors.
What you need to start
| Need | Why |
|---|---|
| GST registration | Required for inter-state purchases and for input credit |
| Working capital | To pay factory advances and fund retailer credit |
| A secure store room | Jewellery is high value for its size |
| Transport arrangement | For inbound goods and deliveries to retailers |
| A catalogue system | WhatsApp catalogue, PDF or app, with design codes |
| Accounting | GST returns, stock records, receivables |
Start with a focused range of proven designs rather than a huge catalogue. A new distributor with forty strong designs that sell through is in a far better position than one with four hundred that sit in boxes.
Tools that help
- WhatsApp Business for catalogues, order taking and updates to retailers
- Accounting software that handles GST invoices, e-way bills and stock
- A simple spreadsheet mapping your design codes to the factory's codes
- Photo standards: every design photographed the same way, on the same background, so retailers can compare
Your first year
Expect the first year to be about learning what sells in your territory. Track sell-through by design every month, cut designs that do not move, and put more money into the ones that do. Most distributors find their real best sellers only after a full wedding and festival cycle.
Common mistakes new distributors make
- Too many designs, too little depth. Retailers re-order what sells; if you cannot supply it again, you lose the account.
- Unlimited credit. Giving generous credit to win retailers can drain cash within months.
- Ignoring the calendar. Missing the Navratri or wedding stocking window loses a season's sales.
- No written terms. Returns, credit days and delivery charges should be clear from the first order.
- Buying on price alone. Cheap stock that tarnishes early costs retailer trust, which is hard to win back.