JD.com began exploring the UK market in the second half of 2024 and recently launched a test operation under the brand “Joybuy”, adopting a self-operated model. Currently, it is conducting a small-scale seed user internal test in London, while large-scale merchant recruitment has also commenced.
Additionally, JD.com recently completed a new round of organizational restructuring, with its international business now led by a JD Group Vice President and former head of JD Retail’s Home Appliance and Home Furnishings Business Unit, while the Home Appliance and Furniture Business Unit is now under the responsibility of another Vice President.
A UK user who tested the platform reported that Joybuy currently covers a wide range of categories including daily necessities, beauty and skincare, 3C electronics, and home goods, featuring both domestic and international brands. The platform offers exclusive coupons for new users with substantial initial discounts, allowing users to enjoy benefits such as £5 off for every £10 spent, free shipping, and same-day or next-day delivery.
The Joybuy platform was initially launched in 2015 as JD.com’s cross-border e-commerce platform. On November 24, 2021, Joybuy announced that due to strategic adjustments, it would cease its existing operations on December 9, 2021, transitioning from a B2C platform to a cross-border B2B trading and service platform, rebranded as “JD Global Trade”.
Since then, JD.com’s activities overseas have continued. In the self-operated retail sector, in 2022, JD.com dispatched a team to Europe to operate under the brand “ochama”, aiming to introduce China’s innovative online-offline omnichannel shopping model to Europe with the goal of “building another JD.com in Europe”. To date, ochama has established self-operated warehouses in the Netherlands, Poland, France, and other locations, providing door-to-door delivery and self-pickup services for a full range of products across 24 European countries.
The move in the UK is part of JD.com’s further expansion into overseas markets. In 2024, the UK’s retail e-commerce market reached $160 billion, making it the world’s third-largest e-commerce market. Similar to its development strategy in China, delivery timeliness is a key advantage for JD.com’s retail operations there.
Supporting this timeliness is JD.com’s long-established logistics capabilities and overseas warehouses. The establishment of JD International in 2020 aimed to export international logistics and smart warehousing capabilities, providing one-stop business flow and logistics services for overseas enterprises. At the end of October 2024, ochama launched an automated warehouse in Poland covering approximately 290,000 square feet, which, together with warehouses in the Netherlands and France, will fulfill orders across 24 European countries. In December 2024, JD Logistics announced plans to build a “2-3 day delivery” timeliness circle for overseas warehousing and distribution, currently operating over 100 overseas warehouses, bonded warehouses, and direct mail warehouses worldwide. Previously, JD.com’s overseas warehousing and logistics capabilities primarily served B2B clients; now, they also serve as infrastructure for its self-operated retail business.
Previously, industry insiders described JD.com’s overseas expansion as “having a layout but being relatively steady-paced compared to other e-commerce platforms.” Now, with a series of new initiatives, and as the domestic e-commerce market becomes increasingly saturated, JD.com is also seeking growth opportunities in overseas e-commerce.
