Dashain and Tihar are when Nepal opens its wallet. Families buy new clothes, gadgets, gifts, sweets, and home goods; people in the village receive money from relatives abroad; and shoppers who never buy online the rest of the year suddenly do. For a small business, the festive window from late Ashwin into Kartik can bring in more revenue than several ordinary months combined. But that demand also exposes every weak spot: out-of-stock items, slow replies, a confusing checkout, or a delivery that arrives after Tika.
The shops that win Dashain are not the ones that scramble in the final week. They are the ones that prepared calmly over six weeks. Here is a realistic, week-by-week plan you can actually follow while still running your shop.
Week 1: Decide what you will actually sell
Start with focus, not everything. Look at last year's sales records, your supplier conversations, and what people in your area ask for. Pick your hero products — the 10 to 20 items most likely to sell during Dashain-Tihar. For a clothing shop that might be kurta sets and kids' wear; for electronics, power banks and earbuds; for a kirana-style store, gift hampers and dry fruits.
- Confirm supplier prices and minimum order quantities now, before wholesale markets get crowded.
- Calculate your real margin in NPR after cost, packaging, and delivery — not just the sticker price.
- Note which items are safe for Cash on Delivery and which are too high-value or fragile to risk.
Week 2: Get your store and product pages ready
This is your foundation week. Whether customers find you through Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or word of mouth, they need a clean place to actually buy.
Product listings that convert
- Use clear photos taken in daylight — real product shots beat downloaded images, which Nepali buyers have learned to distrust.
- Write prices in NPR, mention whether VAT is included, and state sizes or specifications plainly.
- Add a short, honest description and a visible stock status so buyers know it is available.
Make sure your contact options are obvious — a Viber or WhatsApp number and your shop hours. Many Nepali customers want to confirm before they pay, especially first-time buyers.
Week 3: Set up payments and sort out PAN/VAT
Festive shoppers expect to pay the way they already pay for recharge and utilities. If your only option is COD, you lose the buyers who want it done instantly.
- Enable eSewa and Khalti, and add your bank transfer / connectIPS details for larger orders.
- Keep COD available for customers who still prefer cash, but be clear about which areas you serve.
- Test every payment method yourself with a small transaction so you know the buyer's experience end to end.
This is also the right time to get your paperwork clean. If you are crossing the VAT threshold or selling to customers who need a bill, make sure your PAN/VAT registration is in order and your invoices show the correct tax. Sorting this before the rush means you are not fixing accounts during your busiest week. A platform like Saauzi lets you run your online store, POS, eSewa/Khalti payments, and delivery from one place, so your online and in-shop sales stay on the same set of books instead of scattered across notebooks and chat screenshots.
Week 4: Build your Dashain offers
Discounts are expected during the festival, so plan them deliberately instead of slashing prices in a panic on the last day.
- Bundle, don't just discount. A gift hamper or a "buy 2 get free delivery inside the valley" offer protects your margin better than a flat 30% off.
- Use the festival calendar. Promote heavier in the days before Ghatasthapana and Tika, when people are actively shopping for gifts and clothes.
- Reward early buyers. An early-bird price for the first week pulls demand forward and eases the final-day crush on you and your courier.
Write down each offer with its start date, end date, and the exact NPR price, so your staff and your store show the same thing.
Week 5: Lock in delivery and stock buffers
Delivery is where Dashain dreams break. Couriers are overloaded, roads are busy, and many staff travel home to their villages. Plan for it.
- Talk to your courier partner now about festive cut-off dates and COD remittance timelines. Ask when their last reliable delivery date before Tika is.
- Be honest on your store about delivery times — "inside Kathmandu Valley: 1–2 days; outside valley: 3–5 days" sets expectations and reduces angry calls.
- Stock a buffer on your hero products. Running out on the day before Dashain means a lost sale and a customer who buys from someone else.
- Prepare packaging in advance: boxes, tape, fragile labels, and a small thank-you note go a long way during a gifting season.
Week 6: Test, launch, and prepare to respond fast
The final week is for rehearsal, not building.
- Place a full test order yourself — browse, add to cart, pay with eSewa or Khalti, and confirm the order notification reaches you.
- Brief whoever helps you reply to messages. During Dashain, a reply within minutes often decides the sale.
- Prepare a simple returns and exchange line, since clothing and gifts get exchanged often. Clear terms prevent disputes.
- Schedule your launch posts and keep your hero products pinned at the top of your store and social pages.
Then watch your numbers daily. If one product sells out, swap in the next best item rather than leaving a dead listing. If a payment method is causing drop-offs, fix it the same day.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Over-promising delivery. One late Tika gift can cost you a customer for life and a bad review.
- Ignoring COD reconciliation. Track which COD orders are actually paid out by the courier so cash does not quietly go missing.
- Discounting into a loss. Always check your NPR margin after delivery and payment fees before announcing an offer.
Your takeaway
You do not need a bigger budget to win Dashain — you need a calm, six-week head start. This week, do just one thing: list your 10 hero products with real photos and NPR prices, and turn on eSewa and Khalti. Everything else builds on that. Start now, and when the festive rush arrives, you will be taking orders while your competitors are still figuring out how to get paid.
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