Simbacart has been continuously working into footwear category especially ethnic from nearly 3 years. To share my experience, I would like to highlight first that footwear is one right section to choose for a business, because of its continuous demand just like apparels. Ethnic footwear from Punjab are specially known as "Punjabi Jutti" or "Khosa". Usually the basic designs are evergreen in Ethnic, whereas with time artists has taken designing and comfort to another level by using genuine leather and designs that blends with modern fashion.
If you are thinking to open a new online business, definitely you can step in footwear. To beat the thin margins of ecommerce model, Choose extreme quality material and designs so that it can be sold at better price and proves as a value, in fact investment in a quality footwear for the customers.
Along with Punjab, the highest target markets are Gujrat, Rajasthan, Mumbai and Delhi for ethnic Punjabi footwear. Whereas Punjab buy it as its regular footwear. Black, Brown and Wooden Red are the most popular colors. The fastest selling price range for genuine leather ethnic footwear is Rs.1900-2400. Majority buyers are those buyers who wear ethnic footwear more often. Ethnic footwear generates repeat buyers to larger extent.
Punjabi ethnic footwear are handmade footwear, they are usually sourced from people who make them at home or mediators who compile them further. They are made by families in many rural parts of Punjab where both men and women work together at their home or small spaces where communities work together. It is a low investment project as very small families can make them at their homes and fewer pieces can be sourced rather than buying from factories who only supply bulk orders.
The footwear is very popular in metro cities for special occasions especially weddings. I believe that there has be more startups to come up to take Punjabi culture especially footwear to next level as the demand is huge!
My honest writings
Mandeep