District Bazaar: a virtual wholesale marketplace for micro retailers around the country

Abstract

An age-old challenge faced by merchants operating in rural areas of Bangladesh inspired the conception of the idea that would become the District Bazaar. As of 2019, Bangladesh's retail market is approximately $18.4 billion, and FMCG, or Mudikhana Goods, accounts for nearly 47 percent of the market. With a comprehensive distribution channel, they cover the entire market without interruption. However, the remaining segment of the market demands products such as shoes, sunglasses, gadgets, fashion items, RMGs, luxury items, etc., that do not have the same well laid out supply chain as the FMCGs. Therefore, plenty of middlemen are involved in adding value to the existing supply chain of such products, and, subsequently, they are inflating the price of the product as it reaches the hands of the retailers. District Bazaar is a mobile app that provides more options for products for retailers at a much lower price. The operation is driven by a sophisticated supply chain and field agents, intertwined with power technology. We plan on creating local employment in the rural areas and adding value to the community through a range of intrinsic developments.