Clothing and fabric shop POS in Faisalabad

Cloth in the Manchester of Pakistan

Faisalabad, founded as Lyallpur in the 1890s, is called the Manchester of Pakistan because of its textile industry, and Wikipedia describes it as the centre of the country's textile trade. Mills and power looms around the city turn out cotton and silk cloth, hosiery and clothing, and much of it passes through the city's own markets before it reaches shops elsewhere in Punjab.

The heart of that trade is the old city around the Clock Tower, built in 1905. Eight roads run out from it in the pattern of the Union Jack, and each grew into a bazaar of its own, joined by a ring road called Gol Bazaar. Several of them are cloth markets. Montgomery Bazaar, also called Sutar Mandi, is known for yarn and raw cloth. Rail Bazaar is a gold and cloth market. Chiniot Bazaar sells cloth, blankets, sofa cloth and curtains alongside its medicine stores.

A Faisalabad cloth shop therefore sits close to its source. It can buy directly from mills and wholesalers a few streets away, which keeps prices tight and means new designs arrive quickly. It sells to several kinds of buyer: families choosing a suit for a wedding, tailors buying fabric for their customers, and smaller shops from nearby towns buying a few thans at a time on credit.

Margins in a market this close to the mills are thin, so knowing the cost and profit of each design matters more than in a city where cloth comes from far away. Faisalabad's power comes from FESCO, and outages still reach the bazaars, so the counter has to keep billing without power or internet.

How a Faisalabad cloth shop runs on Nafaa

A new lot from the mill. Enter the design once and add its colours; each one gets a barcode label. Unstitched suits are sold by the suit, each design and colour with its own price and stock. Ready-made pieces use the size and colour grid, and an empty size shows in red.

Buyers on credit. A tailor or a shop from a nearby town takes fabric now and pays later. Bill it to his khata; his balance, its age and a WhatsApp reminder are one tap away. You see who owes for last month before you give the next lot.

Stitching. Families often buy fabric and stitching together. Save each customer's measurements, several sets if needed, and attach design photos, the karigar, the trial date and the advance to the silai order.

Seasons and Sale. Group stock into collections such as Summer Lawn, Eid or Winter, and put a percent Sale on a whole collection when the season ends. A piece can be held for a customer with a deposit or sold on a qist plan.

Returns and exchanges. A returned suit comes back on the original bill and pays toward the new one, so only the difference changes hands and the stock count stays right.

Questions from Faisalabad cloth traders

My brother runs our second shop in another market. Can I see his stock and sales?

Yes. Each branch has its own stock and counter, and the owner sees sales, profit, expenses and returns for both, side by side. A design that sells out in one shop can be moved from the other.

Some buyers come from Jhang or Toba Tek Singh once a month. Can I see what each one owes?

Yes. Each buyer has a khata with every bill and payment, how old the balance is, and a WhatsApp reminder you can send in one tap.

Can I see which supplier's designs make money?

Yes. The profit report groups sales by supplier, brand, category or product, after cost.

What happens during an outage?

Bills are made on the device without internet and sync when the connection returns.

Where can I compare with other cities?

See the Lahore clothing page for a wholesale cloth market city, the garments page, and Faisalabad for other trades here.