JD.com’s more than 280,000 employees come from a wide range of backgrounds and areas of expertise. In the next installment of our JDer Lab series, we speak to another JDer about what it’s really like to work for China’s largest retailer.
For Alex Rudnicki, associate director of platform ecosystem and corporate development at JD.com, there’s a certain kind of day that hits the sweet spot: when a breakthrough happens after months of pulling to get there, he told us.
“It could be [with] a new partner or a new business; it could be an existing partner and a new business. I love that kind of brainstorming and especially making that breakthrough where both sides are like, ‘Yes, we should totally do it,’” he said. “It’s just an awesome feeling.”
A second breakthrough often follows when management finally signs off and the project becomes more than an idea, he said.
Rudnicki has experienced his own share of breakthroughs in his time with JD.
After four years in Silicon Valley, Rudnicki came to China in 2017 for the Tsinghua-MIT MBA program. During that time he interned with JD as a project manager in international partnerships, eventually taking the leap to join the company full-time after graduation.
He spoke little Chinese at the time. In fact, when he and his wife first arrived in China he had about “five hours of Chinese class under my belt,” he told us. “I had just learned that there are these things called ‘tones’, which is about as rookie as it gets.”
Over time he’s leveled up his Chinese language abilities, now attending daily meetings and reporting to managers in Chinese. “I’m not really sure how it happened,” he said. “That will be something I’m proud of for the rest of my life.”
The openness and kindness of his JD coworkers have played a big role in making the process easier for him, he said. “I’ve been really impressed with how open people are, and especially coming in as a non-Chinese person in a non-Chinese company which doesn’t have many foreigners. It has been really eye-opening at how welcoming people are, and willing to forgive, whether it’s a language mistake or a cultural misunderstanding.”
Additionally, Rudnicki thinks JDers are some of the hardest working people he’s ever encountered.
“Coming from San Francisco and Silicon Valley where people work really hard, I think that there’s another level here,” he said. “It impresses me day in and day out to see the energy that people put into their work. I thought I was a hustler, and I constantly have to raise my own bar here.”
JD Super, the supermarket division of JD.com, and Camposol, Peru’s leading fruit exporter, celebrated the arrival of the first 2025 season Peruvian blueberries in Shanghai on July 4. This landmark shipment, facilitated through a direct-procurement partnership, launches the global blueberry season and reinforces JD.com’s role as a trusted bridge for international brands and specialty products reaching Chinese consumers.
Building on the successful collaboration in 2024, JD Super and Camposol have strengthened their partnership to source top-tier blueberries directly from Peru’s northern orchards. This year, JD Super anticipates purchasing over 1,000 tons of blueberries, streamlining the supply chain to deliver fresher, more affordable fruit to Chinese shoppers. By eliminating intermediaries and optimizing the process, this partnership makes premium blueberries more accessible and less expensive, enabling consumers to enjoy what’s popularly called “blueberry freedom” in China.
The 2025 Peruvian blueberry season arrived two weeks ahead of schedule, with an estimated yield exceeding 400,000 tons of exceptional quality produce —a 27% increase from last year. JD Super is set to capture 10% of the 72,000-ton supply to China, cementing its position as the largest online retailer for Peruvian blueberries. The initial shipment features the selection of the premium Madeira variety, carefully graded to 16MM+ and 18MM+ sizes for superior flavor, sweetness, and consistency.
JD Super implements a comprehensive assurance system to ensure uncompromising quality through rigorous controls. On-site specialists at Camposol’s Peruvian warehouses monitor product standards from the source, while JD Super conducts regular online quality checks to ensure consistent excellence. Every blueberry meets JD’s strict standards for firmness and uniformity, guaranteeing customers receive premium-grade fruit.
To preserve freshness, the blueberries are transported via a fully sanitized, end-to-end cold-chain system from Peru to China. JD Logistics supports this with cold-chain delivery across over 300 cities, guaranteeing each blueberry arrives as fresh as when it was picked.
Since entering the imported blueberry market in 2018, JD Super has honed its supply chain expertise, reducing costs while improving quality. This direct-sourcing model has made Peruvian blueberries more affordable and popular, driving exponential sales growth on JD’s platform and turning an unfamiliar fruit into a household favorite in China. Peru’s blueberry industry has seen remarkable growth, with cultivation expanding from 80 hectares in 2012 to 20,500 hectares today, reflecting a 65% annual growth rate.
This partnership between JD Super and Camposol sets a new benchmark for global produce collaborations, delivering fresh, high-quality Peruvian blueberries to millions while fostering efficient, sustainable trade.
JD.com, also known as JINGDONG, has been named to the Gartner Supply Chain Top 25 for 2025 for the second consecutive year. The recognition underscores the company’s excellence in the global supply chain sector driven by sustained innovation. As the 22nd ranked company, JD.com remains the only Chinese retailer to be included in the Top 25, joined by global supply chain leaders including Apple, Amazon, P&G, Unilever, Walmart and more.
As the industry’s most prestigious ranking, Gartner Top 25 evaluates companies based on key areas including financial metrics, ESG performance, and expert opinion. Gartner also identified three success drivers shaping this year’s rankings: -autonomous operations, agentic AI, and water stewardship.
Technology Drives Efficiency Elevation
Since launching its comprehensive technology transformation in 2017, JD.com has invested more than RMB 140 billion in R&D. By the end of 2024, the company’s supply chain infrastructure assets increased to RMB 161 billion, up 12% year-on-year.
These investments have helped fuel the company’s highly efficient operations. Managing over 10 million self-operated SKUs, JD.com maintained an impressive inventory turnover of approximately 30 days in 2024. The company also launched TimeHF, its first self-developed billion-scale time series forecasting model, improving forecast accuracy by over 10% and enhancing scientific and accurate inventory management.
Smart Logistics for Speedy Fulfillment
JINGDONG Logistics (also known as JD Logistics) operates over 40 “Asia No.1” intelligent logistics parks across China, where AI-powered scheduling robots work alongside warehousing staff to improve storage efficiency by 10%. To further improve logistics efficiency, cutting-edge systems such as pick robots, sorting machines, and autonomous delivery vehicles work at scale to improve performance.
The “Logistics Brain” system powers dozens of real-world business scenarios across JD.com’s network. For example, the “Courier Assistant” and “Smart Station Manager” use AI to reduce manual hours and enhance management efficiency at front delivery stations. In agriculture, blockchain-based traceability platforms have helped increase fruit and vegetable sales by 30%, while spatial-temporal intelligence tools have shortened store location planning cycles by 80%.
Guided by the principle of bringing goods as close as possible to the customer, JD.com has continued to optimize its logistics network and delivery processes by minimizing handling steps and shortening transportation distance. Today, 95% of JD.com’s retail orders in China can be delivered within 24 hours.
JINGDONG Logistics Zhilang intelligent solution
AI for Full Supply Chain Efficiency
JD Cloud is the technological cornerstone of JD.com, its self-developed large language model (LLM), which supports the intelligent upgrade across the company’s supply chain. JD Cloud’s proprietary intelligent agent, JoyAgent 2.0, addresses both general and complex commercial queries and is currently running more than 14,000 instances internally. Meanwhile, its “Joy Inside” program connects with leading robotics partners to offer highly personalized, intelligent companionship solutions.
Additionally, JD.com is leveraging AI to drive full-chain efficiency. The “Logistics Brain” system integrates LLMs and digital twin technology to enable real-time simulations for billions of orders, accelerating fulfillment times by over 12% during the 2024 JD.com Singles Day shopping festival.
JD Cloud computing center
Green Supply Chain
JD.com is also a leader in building a low-carbon supply chain through innovative green technologies. Its self-developed carbon footprint platform, Jingtanhui, serves over 100 brands, helping manage more than 500 tons of carbon assets, and manages over 40 million waybills. The program has been recognized in China’s national green technology promotion catalog. The company supports paperless operations through its procurement system saving paper equivalent to 20,000 trees annually, while smart packaging algorithms strike a balance between sustainability and cost. In 2022, JD.com launched the “Green Impact Initiative” to encourage eco-conscious consumption and carbon-inclusive actions. Working with brand partners, JD.com has generated approximately 100 million green orders reinforcing its position as a sustainability leader.
People-Focused, Socially Responsible
As of April 30, 2025, JD.com employed over 720,000 personnel under the company’s ecosystem and has been recognized by Fortune China’s ESG Impact List for three consecutive years (2022–2024). JD.com will continue to build a more intelligent, efficient, and green supply chain as part of its long-term commitment to serving global consumers and partners, and driving high-quality development across the industry.