April 14th – 2020
Dear Kapruka Customer,
We wish you a very happy Sinhala and Tamil New Year filled with good health and prosperity.
This year will challenge every one of us and every single business not only in Sri Lanka but all over the world. Especially for emerging economies such as Sri Lanka, the effects on businesses will be much larger and profound. I would like to take a moment to give you an update on what Kapruka, as Sri Lanka™s 1st and largest e-commerce organization is facing and how it has planned its journey ahead.
Regulatory Challenges
Kapruka had 6 grocery products which were priced above the recently imposed government-controlled price. It was our mistake in not having removed the product or adjusted the price in line with the control-price promptly.
However, since the identification of this we have fully complied with the authorities and have removed these items from our inventory until we take corrective measures in sourcing and pricing these products in line with government regulations.
We would like to extend our sincere apologies for this mistake on our part and wish to assure you that corrective measures have been taken to avoid such discrepancies in the future.
Massive backlogs
The moment curfew was announced the online panic buying hit record highs. Kapruka was compelled to limit taking orders and initiate cancellations due to various restrictions that were imposed on our logistics and sourcing.
We fully understand that at a critical time such as this it is not the refund that matters to you but the actual delivery of the product. We therefore sincerely regret all cancellations which we were compelled to initiate due to numerous constraints. We also wish to assure you that all refunds due to cancellations are being processed.
As everyone else we too grappled with the uncertainties and unknown factors. All regular operations including the call support center were crippled for many days due to staff not being able to report to work. We apologize for not being able to offer you our regular level of service during this period.
Successful Deliveries
Since the lockdown was first imposed Kapruka successfully delivered 45,000+ orders between 19th of March and today the 14th April. I wish to thank the customers and Kapruka™s 400 strong fulfillment team who risked their safety to report to work so that these deliveries could be made. They made these order possible despite the serious health concerns, under tremendous family pressure and facing numerous inconveniences. They form a part of the unsung heroes of Sri Lanka who continue to serve silently.
Going forward
We look forward to increasing our range of products significantly within the next few weeks to include grocery and over the counter medicine. Also, all perishable products such as fruits, vegetables, etc. are ready for regular service from 17th of April. However, consideration is required from our valued customers, as we too are working in a restricted environment.
The situation that came upon us is an unprecedented one. No company no matter how large or organized would be prepared to face this situation. All companies struggled to deliver the service required purely due to the level of uncertainty and risk. Yet, if we are to emerge strong from this crisis entrepreneurs and businesses need to be protected so that the economy can regain its lost momentum, provide job security and sustain livelihoods. At Kapruka we want to create more jobs and scale up to create more opportunities in the coming months to support Sri Lanka™s economic turnaround.
Once again thank you for trusting Kapruka and we appreciate your continued business with us.
May all beings be healthy and safe.
Dulith Herath
Founder / Chairman – Kapruka.com