How to start a kiryana store in Pakistan: a practical plan

Short answer: a kiryana store pays when three things are right: a spot with daily foot traffic, stock that matches what the street buys every day, and strict control of udhaar. Most new stores fail on the third, not the first two.

This plan walks through opening a kiryana or general store in Pakistan, from the shop to the first month's numbers.

1. Choose the spot

Stand outside the shop you are thinking of renting at 8 am, 2 pm and 8 pm and count who walks past. A kiryana store lives on small daily purchases, so houses within walking distance matter more than a main road with fast traffic. Check what the nearest two stores sell and at what price; you do not want to open next to a store that already has every brand.

2. Work out the money you need

Write it down in four parts before you sign anything:

1. Rent and advance for the shop (often several months' rent as advance).
2. Fittings: racks, a counter, a fridge or freezer if you sell cold drinks and dairy, a weighing scale, lights.
3. First stock. This is the biggest part and the one most people underestimate.
4. Running money for at least two months: rent, electricity, your own expenses, and stock to refill what sells.

Do not put all your money into the first stock. If the first month is slow, running money is what keeps the shop open.

3. Buy the first stock

Start from a list, not from a dealer's van. Our kiryana store items list has the common items by section. Buy fewer brands per item at first and more of the fast sellers: atta, sugar, oil, ghee, rice, daal, tea, milk, soap, detergent, biscuits and cold drinks.

Ask each dealer three things: the price, the credit days, and whether they take back damaged or expired stock. Write the answers down; after a month you will know which dealer is really cheapest.

4. Set your udhaar rules on day one

Udhaar brings customers, and it also closes shops. Decide before opening:

• who gets udhaar (regular families you know, not strangers);
• a limit for each customer;
• when it must be paid (weekly, or on salary day).

Write every udhaar sale down the moment it happens. A udhaar khata app keeps each customer's balance and sends a polite WhatsApp reminder with the amount, which works better than asking at the counter.

5. Price for profit, not just sales

Many items have printed prices, so your margin is set by what you pay the dealer. For loose items (sugar, daal, rice) you set the price yourself. Use margin, not markup, to check you are really making money: our guide on profit margin vs markup shows the difference with an example.

6. The daily numbers to watch

At the end of each day, check:

• Sales: cash, wallet and udhaar separately.
• Galla: does the cash in the drawer match the sales?
• Kharcha: rent, electricity, tea, transport.
• Munafa: sales minus the cost of what you sold minus kharcha.

Doing this by hand takes half an hour. Kiryana store software does it as you bill, and shows today's munafa in one number.

7. The first three months

• Week 1 to 4: note every item customers ask for that you do not have. Add the ones asked for more than twice.
• Month 2: look at what has not sold at all. Stop reordering it.
• Month 3: compare dealer prices and move fast sellers to the cheapest reliable dealer.

Start free and set up your kiryana with a ready-made item list, udhaar khata and daily munafa.