I’d like to introduce Shopdm, a platform like Amazon, built for Dominica and available at https://www.shopdm.store.
On Shopdm you can buy any product you need, from any local business, wherever you are on the island. We currently have 20 businesses on the platform and we are adding more every day.
You can get groceries without taking a bus, compare options without walking around Roseau, find living room decorations from our amazing local craftspeople or browse new dresses without losing your lunch hour.
Your items are delivered to your home by the store you bought from or by 3rd party delivery services for a fee. You can also visit a convenient pick up location to get your items on your way home from work. Over the next 6 months we want to move products to every community on the island and in a year we want to export Dominican products to Domincan diaspora around the world.
We currently take payments online through NBD Mobanking or in cash if you pick up your products in a store. We will soon add Paypal or VISA card processing to enable diasporans and non-NBD users to pay online as well.
Dominicans have been shopping online forever, either while abroad or from Dominica via Amazon. We shouldn’t have to give up that convenience when it comes to our local businesses. From now on we want every Dominican to be able to easily, conveniently Shopdm: https://youtu.be/dJ9YOK52EM4
Beyond giving buyers convenience, the bigger goal of Shopdm is to help local manufacturers & retailers grow. We want to make it easy for local producers to sell their goods across Dominica and eventually to customers beyond our borders. Currently, local producers struggle to get their products seen. They make amazing products, they sell to friends and friends and family, but if I live in Portsmouth and you’re producing in Grand Bay I just won’t know you exist.
We want to change that at Shopdm. We want to make every Dominican business, everywhere on the island immediately visible. We also want to promote big as well as small businesses. For this reason, Shopdm is completely free for sellers, and the entire signup process can be done online. Shopdm only makes money if the sellers on the platform do, so we want to see you grow. We believe we can grow together. If you’re producing, reach out to us here: https://forms.gle/yaJDmhjqJLfFp1Hw9
We will always place local producers centre stage at Shopdm. Of the current 20 sellers, almost all are local Dominican producers. We’ve found amazing partners in DEXIA and Benjo’s Seamoss, two organizations seeing and chasing the same vision as us. If you’re also interested in making this vision a reality, you can reach the Shopdm team at [email protected].
Shopdm is the first product from Dom Software, a software firm headquartered in Roseau, Dominica and London, United Kingdom. It is owned by Davidson Anthony Edwards (Tony) more info here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidson-edwards-a3468070/. It’s been my pleasure to introduce you to Shopdm: Shop Online at Any Store in Dominica.
love it! Hoping I can shop groceries all the way from the US for family and have it delivered. That would be awesome. Will definitely be visiting your site.
You small-minded naysayer. You obviously did not read the article.
It says, “Over the next 6 months we want to move products to every community on the island and in a year we want to export Dominican products to Domincan diaspora around the world”.
Thanks God that we the younger generation see the world as a village to explore, instead being close-minded as you older folks.
That’s what I’m talking about ! Hats off to the web developers for building this platform, one of the many innovations to come !
Great idea.. we just need more money to circulate in the country to shop.
Very impressive. Cant wait to see this get off the ground to give our local producers the opportunity to sell their products both at home and the diaspora. Congratulations youngman.
How many shopping platforms are there to supply a population of 70,000 people?
Why are you defeating the innovation in its inception? Stop being negative!!!!!!!
Bro, I have been in business for over 3 decades. The biggest mistake you can make as a business person is not seeing the big picture. Just because you have an idea, do not make for a successful business.
Over the past couple years, I have seen about 4 such platforms and I cannot say I have seen anyone that stands out as being successful. Understand Dominica is a cash society. Internet commerce depends on credit card payments which are not in widespread use on the island.
Let’s just say, if someone pitched that to me as an investment opportunity, I would rather put my money in a savings account at .5% return. That is coming from someone who is not afraid to take risky investment positions. But there are some investments that are not worth the risk and that is one of them.
You might see it as negative, but some investment ideas belong in the trash bin.
Lol. When you’re done trying to look smart and qualified on DNO, you should probably read the article. The young man has provided solutions everywhere you see obstacles. Stop embarrassing yourself.
Just FYI .. payments can be made by MoBanking .. this is directly from your NBD account… many persons receive salaries directly to their bank accounts so I dont think that will be a significant issue.
This is what kills our country – negative negative haters like YOU …. instead of offering a suggestion or some advice, you’re preaching negativity….. and then we say our young people are doing nothing…. STUPES!!!!
There is little point in beating up yourself. In business it is all about making money. If you have such confidence in the business, hook up with the guy and see if he will allow you to buy into it. That is the ultimate test of confidence in a business venture. Everything else is just hot air. That is what I do. Most times I make out handsomely, other times I get it wrong and lose money. It is all about the numbers. There is no time for getting emotional.
@ My two cents…. Zandoli, after 30 years ( “three decades”) must have turned into a dead aborlour with its underbelly turning blue with envy. I wonder what kind of business he is in. Must be the wrecking business. Or opposition forces “wrong and strong” business with their dead on arrival gloom and doom attributes.
If he has 30 years as a successful businessman he should be able to give good consulting business advise and intervention. I suspect he is a fake writing under a fake name or he would know the multiple and varied ways payment can be made for both domestic and/international transactions. Wake up sleeping lizard and smell the internet/computer. Oh yes smell the cell phones too. Get up from your 30 years of slumber.
Opposition forces have the inherited mindset that young people are not smart enough to enjoy success. Research a few names: Luke Corriette, J.B. Charles, R. B. D., Frank Baron, Patrick John. How old was Roosevelt Skerrit when he became a minister.
That is all opposition forces know, obstruction and discouragement. You can very well call yourself blue zandoli always calling for rain.
You …… little man!
I doubt that the originators of this initiative view Zandoli’s comment as being negative, but rather as constructive criticism. All to often criticism is perceived as being unhelpful, whereas it can be an innovator’s most valuable resource.
My work as an artist and inventive engineer thrives on critical input, with my own voice being the most critical of all. I don’t always agree with the critics but they test my theory and very often send me back to the drawing board.
Great initiative!
It is beyond great. It is awesome and fantastic. It can boost our economy through export and import substitution. Like amazon it will need aggressive selling (sales), marketing and advertisement.
Amazon? Yeah, for sure this is the newest Amazon. You are the biggest daydreamer I ever come across. Go and have you head examined!