Verity for department stores

Thirty counters, five floors and one month-end settlement nobody trusts. Verity ties them together.

A department store is many small shops under one roof. Some stock is yours, some belongs to brands who pay you a share, and some can be returned if it does not sell. That mix is where the confusion lives. Verity keeps each counter, each floor and each brand on one set of records, so you can see what sold, what you owe, what is ageing and what has quietly gone missing.

Verity in one line

One system that knows which counter earned what, which stock is yours and which is the brand's, what is ageing on the floor, and who needs a decision today.

See your department store in Verity See the 15 problems we solve

Free: we set up a working demo of your own business, on your own data, within 7 days. You pay only if your team decides to use it.

Built for a store that already has billing and tags. The records come from the bills, receipts and counts your team already makes.

Verity / Store / Today

Store: Camp, all floors

Live

Sales yesterday

₹14.8 lakh

1,260 bills

Markdown given

₹1.1 lakh

7.4% of sales

Counters under target

6 of 31

this month

Stock past 120 days

₹38 lakh

at cost

Sales against plan, by floor

  • Women's wear₹4.9 lakh
  • Men's wear₹3.6 lakh
  • Home and kitchen₹2.4 lakh
  • Kids and toys₹1.8 lakh

Vendor dues of ₹7.4 lakh fall this week. 3 vendors are micro or small enterprises with a tighter deadline.

Review dues
  • Winter jackets, Northline Denim62 unsold, return-by date in 9 daysPlan return
  • Transfer to Baner, 40 pieces36 received, 4 not accounted forDiffers

Illustrative screen with sample figures. Yours is set up with your own floors, counters, brands and stores.

Watch

Verity in retail and commerce

Shelf counts, billing and stock, shown the way a store lives them.

35 seconds, no sound. An illustrative film, so the scenes are examples, not customer results.

How it runs today

A department store is easy to walk and hard to read.

On the floor everything looks organised. Behind it, the picture is split. Some counters are run by brand staff on a revenue share. Some goods are bought outright. Some are on sale-or-return with a date by which unsold pieces must go back. Each has its own paperwork, its own settlement and its own deadline.

The facts a manager needs sit in different places. The billing report shows sales by counter. The brand sends its own statement a week later. Stock counts are done by floor on different days. The markdown list is agreed in a meeting and reaches the tags on the shelf three days later. Shrinkage shows up as a single number at year end.

A listed department store chain disclosed that over 70% of its revenue in fiscal 2024 came from consignment, concessionaire and sale-or-return goods. That model is why the stock on the floor is not all yours, and why the counter-by-counter accounting matters so much.

What most department stores run on

  • Billing reports by counter
  • Brand statements and settlement sheets
  • Stock sheets by floor
  • Markdown lists in email and WhatsApp
  • Attendance registers for own staff and brand promoters

Every one of these is correct for its own purpose. The month-end work is joining them by hand, and that is where the disputes start.

15 problems, one by one

Where a department store actually loses money.

These are the situations department store owners and floor managers describe again and again. For each one: what it looks like on an ordinary day, what it costs, and what Verity does about it.

  1. 01Brands

    Brand settlements are argued every month

    What it looks like

    A concession brand says it sold ₹6.8 lakh on your floor. Your billing report says ₹6.2 lakh. The gap is gift vouchers, a few exchanges booked on another counter, and two bills raised under the wrong counter code. A senior person spends a day settling it.

    What it costs you

    Example arithmetic: with 30 concession counters and a few hours of dispute on each, that is several working days a month of senior time, and a brand that feels cheated asks for a better margin or a worse floor.

    How Verity fixes it

    Every bill is tied to a counter, and every exchange, voucher and return is recorded against the counter that owns the goods. Verity builds the settlement from your agreed share for each brand and shows what changed between your figure and theirs, line by line.

    See the screen
  2. 02Brands

    Sale-or-return stock passes its return date

    What it looks like

    A brand sends a hundred winter jackets on sale-or-return with a 60 day window. They sit on a rail. Day 61 arrives, nobody remembers the date, and the stock is now yours to carry or to discount.

    What it costs you

    The idea of sale-or-return is that you do not carry the risk. A missed date turns that stock into your inventory at cost, and the discount to clear it comes from your margin.

    How Verity fixes it

    Each consignment is a record with its quantity, its return-by date and what has sold. Verity lists what is within 15 days of its date, with the sold and unsold count, and assigns the return task to the person who handles that brand.

    See the screen
  3. 03Markdowns

    Markdowns are decided late and by feel

    What it looks like

    The end-of-season sale is announced for Friday. The list of what to mark down is made on Thursday from memory and a stock sheet. Some slow lines are marked down too late. Some fast lines are marked down although they were still selling at full price.

    What it costs you

    Vector Consulting Group's 2026 study found about 24% of on-shelf apparel and footwear stock was past its optimal selling window. Each extra week on the rail takes a bigger discount to clear.

    How Verity fixes it

    Days on floor, sell-through and cost value are tracked for each line. Verity proposes a markdown ladder for ageing lines, shows the margin after each step, and routes the approval to the category head before the price changes.

    See the screen
  4. 04Markdowns

    The price tag, the system and the sale banner disagree

    What it looks like

    A shirt is tagged ₹1,799, the sale banner says 30 percent off, and the system has ₹1,499. A customer holds the tag at the counter. The cashier gives whichever price ends the argument fastest.

    What it costs you

    Example arithmetic: if 40 bills a day each give away ₹150 to settle a tag mismatch, that is about ₹22 lakh a year of margin given without a decision.

    How Verity fixes it

    Every price change is a dated record with who approved it. Verity lists items whose shelf price and system price differ, and shows each counter a daily checklist of tags to correct, signed off by a person.

    See the screen
  5. 05Stock

    Shrinkage is a single number at year end

    What it looks like

    The annual count shows stock lower than the books. Nobody can say if it left from the fitting room, the back door, a vendor delivery or a wrongly booked transfer. Cosmetics and small accessories go first.

    What it costs you

    Trent reported shrinkage of 0.41% of sales in FY24 and V-Mart 0.5%, both up on the year before. On a department store's wide range of small, easy-to-carry items, a year-end figure is a number you can do nothing about.

    How Verity fixes it

    Stock is counted in small cycles by floor and counter, compared with the book, and each gap is listed with the item, the value, the date range and the staff on shift. Verity ranks counters and shifts by loss so the first conversation is with data.

    See the screen
  6. 06Stock

    The fast seller is in the back store, the shelf is empty

    What it looks like

    A customer asks for a size 38 in the checked shirt. The shelf has two left in the wrong colour. The back store has fifty and nobody has moved them to the floor.

    What it costs you

    Every miss is a sale to the shop next door, and the stock in the back room is cash that is not earning.

    How Verity fixes it

    Floor and back store are separate locations on the same record. Verity compares floor cover with back store stock and lists lines to move to the floor today, sorted by how fast they sell.

    See the screen
  7. 07Stock

    Size and colour runs break and nobody plans for it

    What it looks like

    A popular style sells out in M and L in the first fortnight. The pile left is XS, XXL and one colour nobody wants. The next order from the brand goes in on a total number, not on the missing sizes.

    What it costs you

    Broken runs are the stock that gets marked down first, and each missing size means walk-outs at full price.

    How Verity fixes it

    Stock is held by size and colour. Verity shows which styles are broken, how many full runs remain, and which sizes to reorder or to ask the brand to replace.

    See the screen
  8. 08Stock

    Transfers between stores vanish in transit

    What it looks like

    Forty pieces leave the main store for the new branch on Monday. By Thursday the branch says it received thirty-six. The delivery slip is a photo on a phone.

    What it costs you

    Four pieces at ₹1,200 is a small loss, but without a record nobody is responsible and the pattern repeats.

    How Verity fixes it

    A transfer is a record with a sending count, a receiving count and a date. Verity flags any difference the same day and holds the transfer open until the receiving store signs it.

    See the screen
  9. 09People

    Brand promoters and own staff are rostered separately

    What it looks like

    The brand's promoter is on leave and the counter is covered by a floor assistant who does not know the stock. Your own staff attendance is in one register, the promoters' in another, and nobody sees the gaps at peak hours.

    What it costs you

    A manned counter sells; an unmanned one does not. Saturday and festive afternoons are the hours you can least afford a gap.

    How Verity fixes it

    Own staff and brand promoters sit in one roster with their employer marked. Verity shows counters without cover against the busiest hours and assigns a cover task to the floor manager.

    See the screen
  10. 10Floor space

    You cannot tell which counters earn their space

    What it looks like

    A counter has held its corner for four years on goodwill. Another has waited a year for a better spot. Sales per square foot by counter have never been put side by side.

    What it costs you

    Vector Consulting Group found that 28% to 40% of retailers' store networks are unprofitable. Inside one store, a weak counter holds the same space a stronger one could use.

    How Verity fixes it

    Sales, margin earned, markdown and sell-through are shown for each counter against its floor area. Verity ranks counters and lists those below a floor you set, ready for a review with the brand.

    See the screen
  11. 11Customers

    Members who spend most go quiet unnoticed

    What it looks like

    A loyalty member who spent ₹80,000 across home and kids' wear last year has not been in for five months. Nobody sees it because the loyalty list is by points, not by gap.

    What it costs you

    Example arithmetic: 500 top members spending ₹60,000 a year is ₹3 crore. If a tenth of them quietly stop, that is ₹30 lakh gone without a note.

    How Verity fixes it

    Purchases are tied to the member by phone number. Verity shows each member's usual floors and visit gap, lists the valuable ones past their gap, and assigns a call or a note to the floor manager who knows them.

    See the screen
  12. 12Customers

    Returns, credit notes and gift vouchers are tracked in different places

    What it looks like

    A return is made on the home floor against a bill from the women's floor. The credit note is on paper. A gift voucher sold in December is still unredeemed in October, and nobody knows the total.

    What it costs you

    Credit notes and vouchers are money you owe customers. Unrecorded, they become disputes, double use and a liability your accountant discovers late.

    How Verity fixes it

    Returns link to the original bill with a reason and a decision on where the item goes. Credit notes and vouchers are records with an amount, an expiry and a status, and Verity totals what is open.

    See the screen
  13. 13Suppliers

    Supplier payments are made by the loudest call

    What it looks like

    Brands and vendors chase for payment. The accounts person pays whoever calls last. Vendors who are micro or small enterprises should be paid within a set number of days for your expense to be deductible in the year, and nobody tracks which vendors those are.

    What it costs you

    Late payment strains the vendor, and for small manufacturers the tax deduction for the expense can shift to the year of actual payment.

    How Verity fixes it

    Each bill is a record with a due date, a vendor type and its payment terms. Verity lists what is due this week, what has a discount window and which vendors have tighter deadlines, and assigns the payment task.

    See the screen
  14. 14Operations

    Festive peaks arrive with the wrong stock and the wrong staff

    What it looks like

    Diwali weeks need extra staff, extra billing lanes, extra stock in gifting and ethnic wear, and extra tag checks. The plan lives in the head of one manager who is also on the floor.

    What it costs you

    A peak week is a large share of the year. Short stock or short staff in those days cannot be recovered afterwards.

    How Verity fixes it

    Last year's sales by floor and day are laid against this year's roster and stock. Verity lists the gaps, assigns a prep checklist to each floor manager and shows what is still open each morning.

    See the screen
  15. 15Owner

    The owner sees the store only after the month closes

    What it looks like

    Daily sales arrive in a message. Margin, markdowns, dues and shrinkage arrive when the accountant closes the month. A second store reports in a different format.

    What it costs you

    By the time a problem appears in the month-end pack, a month of it has already happened.

    How Verity fixes it

    Floors, counters and stores are locations on one system. Each morning Verity shows sales, markdown given, counters below target, ageing stock and dues, with the items that need a decision listed and owned.

    See the screen

The numbers behind it

The numbers that make these problems worth fixing.

From published sources, with the source named under each figure. Your own numbers will differ, and showing you yours is the first thing Verity does.

  • Over 70%

    of Shoppers Stop's revenue in fiscal 2024 came from merchandise on consignment, concessionaire or sale-or-return terms, which the rating agency says reduces exposure to inventory build-up in a slowdown.

    CRISIL Ratings, rating rationale, May 2025

  • 9% sales growth, then a loss

    Shoppers Stop's sales rose to INR 50,433.2 million in FY26 from INR 46,276.4 million, yet it reported a net loss of INR 360.9 million against a profit of INR 108.9 million the year before.

    MarketScreener, full year results to 31 March 2026, published 5 May 2026

  • 24%

    of on-shelf apparel and footwear stock is past its optimal selling window, and about 91% of organised retail stores see revenue leakage at the shelf, according to a Vector Consulting Group study.

    Apparel Resources, 17 February 2026

  • 0.41% and 0.5%

    shrinkage as a share of sales at Trent and V-Mart in FY24, both higher than the year before. Retail associations said chain losses rose to ₹5 to 10 lakh a month, mostly through employees.

    Economic Times, republished by Third Eyesight, June 2024

The 70% figure is from a credit rating report about one listed chain for fiscal 2024. The FY26 result is one chain's. The Vector Consulting Group figures were reported in the trade press and we have not seen the study itself. The shrinkage figures are from a 2024 press report and could not be checked against the original page, so treat them as indicative.

What you will actually see

The screens you would use every day.

Six views, each built for one job. Names, columns and terms are set up in your store's own language.

Screen 1 of 6

The owner's morning view

Sales, markdown given, counters below target, ageing stock and dues on one screen, with the items needing a decision listed under it. It replaces the evening message and the month-end surprise.

Fixes

  • 13 Supplier payments are made by the loudest call
  • 15 The owner sees the store only after the month closes

Verity / Store / Today

Store: Camp, all floors

Sales yesterday

₹14.8 lakh

1,260 bills

Markdown given

₹1.1 lakh

7.4% of sales

Counters under target

6 of 31

this month

Stock past 120 days

₹38 lakh

at cost

Sales against plan, by floor

  • Women's wear₹4.9 lakh
  • Men's wear₹3.6 lakh
  • Home and kitchen₹2.4 lakh
  • Kids and toys₹1.8 lakh

Vendor dues of ₹7.4 lakh fall this week. 3 vendors are micro or small enterprises with a tighter deadline.

Review dues
  • Winter jackets, Northline Denim62 unsold, return-by date in 9 daysPlan return
  • Transfer to Baner, 40 pieces36 received, 4 not accounted forDiffers

Screen 2 of 6

What each counter earned and what we owe each brand

Sales, our share and the amount owed for each counter, with sale-or-return stock and its return date beside it. A difference between our figure and the brand's is shown line by line, so settlement is a short conversation.

Fixes

  • 01 Brand settlements are argued every month
  • 02 Sale-or-return stock passes its return date
  • 10 You cannot tell which counters earn their space

Verity / Counters and brands

Month to date, 31 counters

CounterModelSales this monthOur shareOwed to brandStatus
Kalindi EthnicConcession₹6.2 lakh28%₹4.46 lakhBrand shows ₹6.8 lakh
Northline DenimSale or return₹3.1 lakh30%₹2.17 lakhReturn by 25 Oct
Aarav KidsConcession₹2.4 lakh26%₹1.78 lakhMatched
Bellissima BeautyConcession₹1.9 lakh32%₹1.29 lakhVoucher gap ₹4,200

Sales per sq ft this month, index (100 = store average)

  • Kalindi Ethnic142
  • Aarav Kids101
  • Northline Denim74
  • Bellissima Beauty54

Screen 3 of 6

Markdowns and tags that match

Each line shows days on floor, cost value and sell-through, with a proposed markdown step and the margin it leaves. Approvals go to the category head and every price change is a dated record. Items whose tag and system price differ are listed for correction.

Fixes

  • 03 Markdowns are decided late and by feel
  • 04 The price tag, the system and the sale banner disagree

Verity / Markdowns and ageing

Women's and men's wear, this week

LineDays on floorStock at costSell-throughProposed
Wool blend kurtas96₹4.2 lakh31%Markdown 30%
Slim fit shirts74₹3.1 lakh48%Markdown 20%
Party wear sarees121₹5.6 lakh22%Markdown 40%
Denim jackets38₹2.3 lakh66%Hold price

Markdown given this week, by reason

  • Season sale₹68,000
  • Tag and system differ₹22,000
  • Damaged or soiled₹10,000
  • Manager discretion₹7,000

27 items have a shelf tag that differs from the system price. 11 are on the men's floor.

Assign to floors

Screen 4 of 6

Floor, back store and transfers

Floor stock, back store stock and cover in days for each line, with size runs and transfers between stores. Counts by floor are compared with the book, and each gap is listed by item, value and shift.

Fixes

  • 05 Shrinkage is a single number at year end
  • 06 The fast seller is in the back store, the shelf is empty
  • 07 Size and colour runs break and nobody plans for it
  • 08 Transfers between stores vanish in transit

Verity / Stock and transfers

Men's wear, 3 locations

StyleFloorBack storeCover daysRunsAction
Check shirt, blue2504M, L missingMove to floor
Chino, khaki182226FullOK
Polo, navy605XL only leftReorder
Formal shirt, white406071FullSlow, review

Cycle count gap by counter, last 30 days (value of difference)

  • Cosmetics and fragrance₹21,400
  • Accessories₹13,100
  • Kids' wear₹6,000
  • Footwear₹3,000
  • Transfer to Baner, 40 piecesSent Monday, 36 received4 differ
  • Transfer from warehouse, 120 piecesDue ThursdayIn transit

Screen 5 of 6

Own staff and brand promoters on one roster

Own staff and brand promoters side by side with the employer marked. Counters without cover at busy hours are listed, and the festive prep checklist for each floor shows what is still open.

Fixes

  • 09 Brand promoters and own staff are rostered separately
  • 14 Festive peaks arrive with the wrong stock and the wrong staff

Verity / Roster and festive plan

Next week, Camp store

CounterOn dutyEmployerPeak coverStatus
Kalindi EthnicSat: Rhea, ImranBrandYesOK
Northline DenimSat: none (promoter on leave)BrandNoNo cover
Home and kitchenSat: Dinesh, PoojaOwnYesOK
Kids and toysSat: MeeraOwnThin from 4 pmNeeds one more
  • Gifting display set up, ground floorFloor manager, Mon
  • Extra stock moved from back store, ethnic wearDue Wed
  • Shelf tags checked against system, men's floorDue Thu

Screen 6 of 6

Members, returns and what we owe customers

Valuable members past their usual gap, with their usual floors and last purchase. Returns link to the original bill, and credit notes and gift vouchers are listed with their amount, expiry and status.

Fixes

  • 11 Members who spend most go quiet unnoticed
  • 12 Returns, credit notes and gift vouchers are tracked in different places

Verity / Customers and credit

Members and open credit

Credit notes open

₹2.4 lakh

58 notes

Gift vouchers unredeemed

₹6.1 lakh

212 vouchers

Top members gone quiet

41

past usual gap

MemberLast visitSpend, 12 monthsUsual floorsStatus
Sunita Kapoor21 May₹82,400Home, kidsCall
Rahul Deshmukh2 Jun₹61,000Men's, footwearCall
Farah Sheikh28 Jun₹54,700Women's, beautyMessage
Anil Joshi14 Jul₹47,300HomeMessage

Illustrative screens with sample data. Layouts, fields, names and terms are set up around how your department store works.

An ordinary day

The same Saturday, before and after.

What changes is not the shopping. It is that the floor, the counters and the stockroom leave a record, and the record does the chasing.

WhenTodayWith Verity
9:00 TodayThe manager walks the floor with a notebook, noting empty rails and tag mistakes from memory. With VerityThe Today screen lists the check shirt in the back store, 27 tags that differ from the system, and a promoter missing at one counter.
11:30 TodayA customer asks for a size that is not on the rail. Staff say it is out of stock and the customer leaves. With VerityStaff see that the back store has fifty. The move-to-floor task was already on the floor assistant's list.
2:00 TodayA brand promoter's leave leaves a counter empty at peak, noticed by a customer. With VerityThe roster showed the gap on Thursday and a cover assignment was already made.
4:30 TodayA return arrives against a bill from another floor. The cashier calls a manager and waits. With VerityThe return is linked to the original bill, the reason is recorded and the credit note shows in the open total.
8:30 TodayTakings are counted and the day's sales by counter are pasted into a message to the owner. With VerityCounter sales were already on the Today screen, and the owner reads three decisions rather than a table.
Month end TodayThe brand statements arrive and two days go into reconciling them with your reports. With VerityThe settlement for each counter was built daily from the bills, so differences are a short list rather than a rebuild.

How we work with you

We set it up with you, in four weeks.

You do not get a login and a manual. We walk your floors, learn how each counter is paid for, build Verity around your own terms, bring your data in, and stay on after go-live.

  1. Week 1

    Discovery and mapping

    What we do
    Spend a day on the floors and one in the stockroom and accounts office. Follow a bill from the counter to the settlement, a markdown from meeting to tag, and a transfer from dispatch to receipt.
    What we need from you
    Two to three hours of yours and your operations head's. Access to a month of billing reports, two brand agreements and the latest markdown list.
    What you have at the end
    A written map of your store: floors, counters, the model each counter runs on, settlement rules, markdown rules and the first leaks we will close.

  2. Weeks 2 to 3

    Configuration

    What we do
    Set up floors, counters and brands with their share or margin, sale-or-return dates, markdown steps and approval limits, back store and transfer locations, and build the six screens in your own terms.
    What we need from you
    Review the setup with your category heads and accounts lead. Tell us where a brand term or a rule is wrong.
    What you have at the end
    A working Verity with your real counters, brands and rules, ready for your data.

  3. Weeks 3 to 4

    Migration and training

    What we do
    Bring in the brand list with terms, current stock by floor, open consignments with return dates and the member list from the sheets you keep. Train floor managers, the accounts team and the stockroom on their own screens.
    What we need from you
    Your latest stock count by floor and the brand terms as agreed. An hour with each team.
    What you have at the end
    Your counters, brands and stock inside Verity, and a team that has used it through a real weekend.

  4. After go-live

    Operations partnership

    What we do
    Stay on through your first month end and your next sale. Tune the thresholds, add a counter or a floor when you open one, and review the numbers with you.
    What we need from you
    A short monthly review with your operations head.
    What you have at the end
    A system that keeps matching how the store runs, with someone responsible for it.

Bring these on day one

  • A month of billing reports by counter
  • Brand agreements or a summary of each counter's terms
  • A list of open sale-or-return consignments with return dates
  • The last markdown list and the staff roster including promoters
  • Your member list in whatever form it exists

Your time

About 10 to 12 hours of your own time across the four weeks, mostly in week 1. Your operations head, category heads and accounts lead need a few more.

After go-live

Nobody is hired to run Verity. Bills, receipts and counts are recorded as part of work the team already does, and the reports come from those records.

Verity AI

Ask your store a question. Get an answer, not a report to build.

Verity AI reads your own sales, stock, counter and member records. Ask in plain language, then turn the answer into tasks for the right people.

  • Your records only Answers come from your own department stores data, not from generic knowledge.
  • Right person, right view It only shows what the person asking is allowed to see.
  • Turns into action An answer can become a task assigned to a named person.

Verity / Ask

Which sale-or-return lines are close to their return date?

4 brands have stock within 15 days of the return date. Northline Denim has the largest unsold quantity.

  • Northline Denim62 unsold, 9 days
  • Kalindi Ethnic18 unsold, 12 days
  • Aarav Kids24 unsold, 14 days
  • Home linen31 unsold, 15 days

Create return tasks for each brand owner

Verity / Ask

Which counters lost most to shrinkage last month?

Cosmetics and accessories account for most of the difference, and most of it falls in two evening shifts.

  • Cosmetics₹21,400
  • Accessories₹13,100
  • Kids' wear₹6,000
  • Footwear₹3,000

Schedule a cycle count on both floors this week

Verity / Ask

What should we mark down before the season sale?

Three lines are past 90 days with under 35% sold. Marking them down in two steps leaves a margin above your floor on all three.

  • Wool blend kurtas30%
  • Party wear sarees40%
  • Slim fit shirts20%

Send for category head approval

Sample questions and answers with illustrative figures.

Without chasing

The follow-ups nobody has time to make.

Set once, then they run from your records. Staff still talk to brands, vendors and customers; Verity makes sure the right person knows what to do.

When

A sale-or-return consignment is 15 days from its return date

  • Listed with sold and unsold counts
  • Return task to the brand owner
  • Outcome recorded, stock returned or kept

When

A line passes your ageing limit with low sell-through

  • Added to the markdown list with the margin at each step
  • Routed to the category head
  • Price change recorded with who approved it

When

A transfer is received with a different count

  • Difference marked on the transfer
  • Task to both store managers
  • Held open until the count is agreed

When

A counter has no cover in a busy hour

  • Flagged on the roster
  • Cover task to the floor manager
  • Closed when someone is assigned

When

A valuable member passes their usual visit gap

  • Added to the member list with usual floors
  • Task to the floor manager who knows them
  • Outcome recorded

When

A brand settlement differs from the brand's statement

  • Difference listed line by line
  • Task to the accounts lead
  • Settlement closed with the agreed amount

Rules and paperwork

The rules a department store has to keep up with.

Verity does not give legal or tax advice and does not file anything for you. It keeps the records these rules depend on in order, so you are not hunting for them when someone asks.

  • Selling at or below MRP

    What is expected

    The Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules 2011 generally bar selling a pre-packaged item above its printed retail price, apart from a tax revision. A consumer commission in Thrissur applied this in a June 2025 order, calling an overcharge an unfair trade practice.

    How Verity helps

    Price changes are dated records, and items where the system price is above the printed price are listed for correction by a named person.

    LiveLaw on the Thrissur order of 27 June 2025

  • Product liability of sellers

    What is expected

    The Consumer Protection Act 2019 extends product liability to product sellers, with the relevant sections in force from 20 July 2020. A department store can therefore be pulled into a claim about a defective product it sold.

    How Verity helps

    Each return and complaint is a record linked to the bill, the item and the brand, so a claim has a history and a brand to pass it to.

    S.S. Rana on the Act

  • Paying small suppliers on time

    What is expected

    Under Section 43B(h) of the Income-tax Act, an amount owed to a micro or small enterprise supplier is generally deductible in the year only if paid within the 15 day default, or the agreed term of up to 45 days. Traders are generally outside this rule. Confirm the details and dates with your accountant.

    How Verity helps

    Each vendor record carries its type and terms, and Verity lists bills whose deadline is close.

    ClearTax on Section 43B(h)

  • Food, trade and staff registrations

    What is expected

    A department store with a food counter or café generally needs FSSAI registration for it, and the store itself needs its local trade licence and Shops and Establishments registration. Rules differ by city and state.

    How Verity helps

    Each licence is a record with an expiry date and an owner, so a renewal becomes a task weeks before it lapses.

Rules change and differ by state and category. Confirm current requirements with your accountant or the relevant authority.

Who sees what

Everyone sees the same records, through their own window.

A floor assistant should not see brand margins. A brand manager should not see another brand's sales. Each role opens on what it needs.

  • Owner

    Is the store making money, and from which counters?

    Sales, margin and markdown by floor and counter, ageing stock, dues, shrinkage and every store side by side.

  • Floor manager

    What needs sorting on my floor today?

    Tags to correct, stock to move to the floor, counters without cover, transfers to receive and festive prep still open.

  • Category head

    What should we mark down, reorder or return?

    Ageing lines with margin at each step, broken size runs, sale-or-return dates and the markdown approvals waiting.

  • Brand coordinator

    What do we owe each brand, and what is due back?

    Settlement by counter, differences from brand statements, return-by dates and unsold counts.

  • Accountant

    What was sold, owed and credited?

    Counter sales by payment mode, settlement amounts, vendor dues and deadlines, credit notes and voucher totals.

Straight answers

What changes, and what stays the same.

Keep using

  • Your billing system at every counter. We agree during setup how bills and returns reach Verity.
  • Your tagging and display routines on the floor.
  • WhatsApp and email with brands and vendors. Staff reply
  • Verity tracks who owes a reply.
  • Your accountant, who still prepares your returns.

Verity does not

  • Run your billing counters or take payments.
  • Sell online or take orders from customers.
  • Send messages to brands, vendors or members on its own.
  • File your returns or run your payroll.

We bring your brands and their terms, stock by floor, open consignments and members across from the sheets and registers you use now, floor by floor, so the store keeps trading while it happens.

  • Excel
  • Google Sheets
  • Legacy ERP
  • CRM
  • One operating environment

Questions

Questions department store owners ask.

Our brands run their own counters and staff. Can Verity still work for us?

Yes. A concession counter is a location with its own staff, share and settlement. Brand promoters are on your roster with their employer marked, and each brand coordinator sees only their brands.

Does Verity replace our billing system?

No. Your billing system keeps taking payments and raising bills. We agree during setup how bills, returns and vouchers reach Verity, which then does the counter, stock, markdown and settlement work around them.

How does it help with sale-or-return stock?

Each consignment is a record with its quantity, sold count and return-by date. Verity lists those close to their date and assigns the return to the brand owner, so the date is no longer carried in someone's memory.

Can it tell us which counters to keep?

It shows sales per square foot, margin earned, markdown and sell-through for each counter side by side. The decision stays yours, and you can take the same numbers to the brand in a review.

We have a few floors and a new branch. Can we see them together?

Yes. Each floor and each store is a location in one system, with sales, stock, markdown and staff side by side, and stock can be moved between them against a recorded transfer.

Will our floor managers actually use it?

Only if it saves them time, so we set up short daily lists they would otherwise make by hand: tags to fix, stock to move, counters to cover. We train them on the floor during a real shift.

Can it handle festive and sale season?

Yes. Last year's sales by floor and day are laid against this year's roster and stock, gaps are listed, and each floor gets a prep checklist with an owner.

Who can see my data?

Only the people you allow. Access is set by role, so floor managers, brand coordinators and your accountant each see what they need, and every change is recorded with who made it and when.

What does it cost?

It depends on the number of stores, counters and what you want set up. Message us and we will give you a clear number after a short conversation about how your store runs.

Where the figures come from

Sources

  1. CRISIL Ratings, rating rationale, May 2025
  2. MarketScreener, full year results to 31 March 2026, published 5 May 2026
  3. Apparel Resources on Vector Consulting Group, 2026
  4. Economic Times, republished by Third Eyesight, 2024
  5. LiveLaw on the Thrissur order of 27 June 2025
  6. S.S. Rana on the Act
  7. ClearTax on Section 43B(h)

Last checked 15 October 2026. Published figures vary by region and method, so treat them as indicative, not as a promise of your results.

Start with the brand statement that never matches.

Tell us how your counters are paid for and we will show you the settlement differences, the ageing lines and the shrinkage gaps it would find, using your own numbers.

Get your free demo Email us

Free: we set up a working demo of your own business, on your own data, within 7 days. You pay only if your team decides to use it.