The ‘Mobile Express’ is a bus that goes to towns and cities selling handloom products made by weavers in Chennimalai. It is in Coimbatore now, stocked with bed sheets, towels and home furnishings.
The new marketing initiative of the State Government helps weaver societies reach out to customers directly.
The bus travelled to Tiruchi, Palani and Chennai before arriving at Coimbatore. Its next destination is Pollachi.
According to G. Shankareshwari, Managing Director of Chenkumar Handloom Weavers’ Cooperative Produce and Sale Society, Chennimalai, the State Government sanctioned ₹32 lakh as grant for the project. The bus, with a salesman, had goods worth ₹30 lakh and travelled to different cities and towns. “The bus service was launched in November and so far we have travelled to four cities, selling goods worth ₹ 3 lakh. In 12 months, we want to sell products for ₹1 crore,” she said.
The society, which had 800 members, usually supplied products to the Co-optex. Last year, its total sales were for ₹7 crore. “We will maintain our supply to Co-optex and sell through the bus too,” Ms. Shankareshwari said.
The bus had received good response so far and also created awareness about the society among the public. It had bed spreads, bed sheets of different kinds, pillow covers, mats, towels, and home furnishing, all with the handloom mark and woven by the weavers of the society in Chennimalai. “We are the first weaver society in the State to get this facility. Depending on our success, more societies might get this facility,” she said.
