What is dropshipping in ethnic wear? How does it work for Indian boutique owners?

Dropshipping is a retail fulfilment model where the boutique owner never holds physical stock — instead, when a customer places an order, the supplier ships the product directly to the customer.

How ethnic wear dropshipping works in India:

1. Boutique owner lists products on Instagram, WhatsApp, or a website at retail price
2. Customer places and pays for an order
3. Boutique owner places the same order with the wholesale supplier at wholesale price — keeping the margin
4. Supplier ships directly to the customer

Advantages: Zero inventory investment, no dead stock risk, minimal upfront capital, can test many products without buying stock

Disadvantages: Lower margins than holding stock, no control over shipping speed or packaging quality, customer service issues when supplier delays occur, cannot inspect quality before delivery

Platforms enabling this in India: GlowRoad and Meesho are built specifically for this model. Several Surat suppliers also offer direct dropshipping for established resellers.