According to an interview with a German newspaper, Chinese ecommerce giant JD.com continues to look to Europe for expansion. And it looks like expansion into Germany in particular, with an in-country office opening soon, will be the first step. JD.com is already known to be investing heavily in logistics and offline retail to expand beyond its base in China and Southeast Asia and establish a meaningful presence in USA and now Europe.
The final decision is still pending. I often come here (to Europe) to talk to consumers, producers and the government. By the end of this year, we will launch a concrete strategy for tapping the European market. For me, it’s no longer just about selling products from Germany in China. I would also like to sell products in Europe. I want to sell different products – even local products.
– Richard Liu, CEO JD.com
To some extent this news won’t come as any particular surprise because it has been hinted at for some time although this does suggest that progress has been slower than expected. It’s also been reported that JD is considering partnerships and acquisitions.
What is JD.com?
We considered JD.com or Jingdong Mall earlier in the year as part of our Marketplaces 2018 series. It is the second largest business-to-consumer (B2C) ecommerce site in China. JD is also China’s largest retailer. At last count, JD.com has 240 million registered users and 188 million active shoppers. And whilst it is open to third-party merchants, it is better suited to bigger merchants. Although, that may change as they expand.
The thing we most commonly hear from retailers and others about JD is that you need fairly deep pockets to ensure that your goods are properly promoted and visible to shoppers. The roster of existing brands that use JD.com include Aptamil, Brook Taverner, Fortnum & Mason, Halcyon Days, Holland & Barrett and New Look. Are you selling there or interested in branching out?
