Dastkari Haat Samiti
Dastkari Haat Samiti
Purkal Stree Shakti Samiti's Shop
The Purkal Stree Shakti Samiti shop was established in 2015 in the main city of Dehradun which sees considerable movement of tourists as well as having a large population of residents. Marketing persons are trained in the principles of good display, labelling items, not encouraging bargaining practices, and providing thorough information on their organization as well as the pattern,design, and specifications of each product they display. The organization also invited volunteers to guide them on sales and marketing practices. They prepared a marketing plan with strategies for growth in sales in the future.
Patchwork: Marketing (2019-03)Dastkari Haat Samiti
The showroom in Purkal sees considerable movement of tourists as residents.
Customers can be seen viewing products on display in the Stree Shakti showroom in Purkal.
Patchwork: Product (2019-03)Dastkari Haat Samiti
Tasteful displays at the Purkal store train salespersons to do the same at their stall during exhibitions in other places.
Patchwork: Product (2019-03)Dastkari Haat Samiti
Simply but effectively displayed items in the Stree Shakti showroom in a tiny village like Purkal surprise customers who do not expect this level of sophistication .
Patchwork: Product (2019-03)Dastkari Haat Samiti
The showroom displays its products to best effect for tourists and other visitors to its organisation
Patchwork: Product (2019-03)Dastkari Haat Samiti
Decorative cloth bunting and quilts for children’s rooms show part of the range of products on sale.
Patchwork: Product (2019-03)Dastkari Haat Samiti
Festive cloth bunting specially made for Christmas shoppers hang in the Stree Shakti show room, and are popular with shoppers.
Patchwork: Product (2019-03)Dastkari Haat Samiti
A range of cushion covers displayed on shelves
in the Stri Shakti showroom.
Creating Markets In New Cities
The showroom in Purkal remains open throughout the year, but the best of their products also goes on show to temporary bazaars in cities like Delhi, Bangalore and Pune at the invitation of major NGOs who organize them to provide marketing platforms for craftspeople. The success of this shop has found them regular links with other retailers in Kolkata and Pune who market their products. After creating a diverse and beautifully designed range of hand embroidered patchwork products, Stree Shakti Samiti's salespersons, supervisors and craftswomen take turns to market their crafts at city bazaars in the festive winter months.
Patchwork: Marketing (2017-11)Dastkari Haat Samiti
Sachin is a salesperson at the store in Purkal.
He and Arti, the quality checker sit at their craft stall at a bazaar in Pune in western India.
Patchwork: Environment (2019-03)Dastkari Haat Samiti
Vimla Rawat sells from the Purkal Stree Shakti Samiti stall during a crafts bazaar at Dilli Haat in New Delhi in the winter months.
Patchwork: Process (2019-03)Dastkari Haat Samiti
Read more about Purkal's patchwork craft here:
-The Community of Patchwork Artisans
-Process
Text: Jaya Jaitly and Charu Verma
Photography: Chirodeep Chaudhuri, Charu Verma
Artisans: Purkal Stree Shakti
Ground Facilitator: Charu Verma
Documentary Video: Chirodeep Chaudhuri
Curation: Ruchira Verma