"Dropshipping" sounds like a complicated foreign word. The idea behind it is simple, and plenty of people in Sri Lanka already do a version of it without giving it a name.
The basic idea
In a normal shop, the owner buys stock first, stores it, and hopes to sell it later. In dropshipping, you sell first, and the product goes straight from the supplier to your customer. You never hold the product. Your job is to find the buyer and look after them.
Think of someone who tells a neighbour, "I know a place with good rice cookers, I can get you one." They don't keep rice cookers at home. They connect a buyer with a seller. Dropshipping is the same thing, organised properly, with the packing, delivery and payment handled for you.
Who does what
You, the seller:
- choose products to promote
- share them with people
- answer questions honestly
- confirm the order with the customer
- place the order in the app
MyKade and its verified suppliers:
- keep the stock
- pack the parcel
- deliver island-wide
- collect the money from the customer
- add your profit to your wallet when the parcel is delivered
How the money moves
Here is an example, only to show the flow. Imagine the app shows a product with your price of Rs 1,500, and you decide to sell it for Rs 1,950. Your profit comes from the gap between the two, and the app shows you the exact profit before you share. The customer also pays the delivery charge, usually around Rs 450, so you tell them the full total before you place the order.
The customer pays MyKade, by cash on delivery or by a secure payment link MyKade texts them. Once the parcel is delivered, your profit appears in your wallet. When there is at least Rs 1,000 in it, you can withdraw to the bank account you verified.
Why cash on delivery matters here
Our data from about 5,000 orders shows that 90–100% of online orders in Sri Lanka are cash on delivery. People like to see the parcel before they pay. Any way of selling online here has to work with COD, and MyKade is built around it.
COD has a cost. Some people order and then don't take the parcel. When selling to strangers online, 30–37% of parcels came back. The biggest reason, 42% of returns, was simply "no answer": the customer didn't pick up the courier's call. Another 19% refused the parcel at the door.
What this means for you
Dropshipping takes away the stock risk. It doesn't take away the work. The sellers who do well:
- confirm every order with a quick call or message before placing it (here's how)
- tell the customer the full total, including delivery, up front
- tell them when to expect it: most parcels arrive within 2 days of dispatch, about 3 days from order to door on average
- ask the customer to keep their phone nearby so they don't miss the courier's call
- build a circle of people who come back: when customers knew the seller and reordered, about 96% of parcels were delivered
Buying stock vs dropshipping
Buying stock and selling it yourself
- You need money up front for stock and packaging
- Anything that doesn't sell is your loss
- You pack, post and chase payments yourself
Dropshipping with MyKade
- Joining is free and there is no stock to buy
- Unsold products stay with the supplier
- MyKade packs, delivers and collects the money
- Your main job is finding customers and looking after them
Keep it honest
Dropshipping works long term only if customers trust you. Describe products as they really are. Don't use other brands' names or logos. Never ask a customer to pay you directly; they always pay MyKade. Honest sellers get fewer returns, and fewer returns keep you at the best seller level.
Your next step
If the idea makes sense, read why you don't need money for stock to start selling, then download the MyKade app and have a look at the products for yourself.