During the economic uncertainty of 2020, a spike in imported cosmetic sales was a bright light on JD.com and other Chinese platforms, said Mark Tanner of marketing and research agency China Skinny, during a webinar hosted in partnership with AustCham Shanghai on April 12.
“Last year was the first time in generations that people in China spent less than the year before,” Tanner said during the webinar. “But one of the bright lights was significant growth in imported cosmetics, with an increase of 30% sales industry-wide YOY. Because of COVID, people had to repatriate their spending, much like with luxury products.”
The first quarter of 2020 saw a dip in cosmetics sales as people stayed indoors during the early lockdown period, but once conditions began to stabilize, cosmetics sales boomed—first for eyeshadow and eyeliner, visible even while wearing face masks; and later for lipstick, as face mask usage became less strict, Tanner said.
During JD’s Singles Day Grand Promotion in November 2020, lipstick sales grew 167% YOY; and lipstick was a top choice for men buying gifts for their partners during Chinese Valentines Day (“Qixi”,falled on August 25, 2020) Tanner noted, citing JD.com’s sales statistics.
As customers spent more time at home, the pandemic accelerated both the growth of online shopping, and an increased focus on self-care.
“The idea of ‘Be kind to yourself,’ with products including luxury, beauty and self-care, all have grown well into the triple digits YOY on JD,” Tanner said. “Overall, it’s looking really good for imported products.”
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.
JD.com announced that it achieved record-breaking results during the 2025 JD.com 618 Grand Promotion, the company’s anniversary and China’s largest mid-year shopping festival. As of 11:59 PM (UTC+8) on June 18, the number of purchasing users more than doubled year-on-year. Across JD.com’s online and offline retail, and food delivery businesses, total order volume surpassed 2.2 billion orders. At the same time, the JD.com app reached a new all-time high in daily active users (DAU). The company continued to lead the industry in both scale and growth of the electronics (3C) and home appliance categories, while apparel & beauty, and daily necessities posted the fastest growth in the industry. Orders from over one million offline stores saw robust growth.
JD.com’s food delivery business is connected to over 1.5 million quality restaurants across 350 cities in China. Supported by a nationwide network of more than 120,000 riders, JD Food Delivery has seen its daily orders exceed 25 million during this year’s 618 promotion.
On June 18, JD.com opened its first 7FRESH Gourmet MALL in Harbin, marking the debut of China’s first gourmet mall to feature full live-streaming of kitchen operations, offering customers peace of mind. JD MALL, the company’s flagship experiential retail format, is also rapidly expanding across the country, with a total of 24 locations. Millions of offline stores nationwide also joined the 618 Grand Promotion, providing consumers with a seamless omnichannel shopping experience. Over 3,000 JD Electronics stores saw their sales increase by more than 240% year-on-year. JD Auto Care service orders increased by 263% year-on-year.
7FRESH Gourmet MALL in Harbin
Leveraging JD.com’s industry-leading automated logistics and global supply chain capabilities, the company’s European retail business now covers 25 countries through the ochama and Joybuy e-commerce platforms, with same-day and next-day delivery services available in multiple locations. Transaction volume of home appliances on ochama increased by 141% year-on-year on the first promotion day of the 618. JD Global Sales has also expanded its direct-shipping logistics service to 36 countries and regions, including Singapore, Japan, and South Korea. In addition, JD Worldwide, the import cross-border e-commerce business, saw sales of gaming consoles surge by over 110% year-on-year.
During this year’s 618 promotion, JINGDONG Logistics (JD Logistics) achieved a new milestone by delivering fresh lychees from Guangdong’s Lingnan orchards to consumers in major Chinese cities within just 24 hours. This feat was made possible through a combination of air transport, high-speed rail connections, dedicated cold-chain routes, and expanded cold-storage networks. Advanced sorting equipment deployed at production sites ensured both speed and freshness. JINGDONG Logistics’ “Integrated Delivery & Installation” service achieved a year-on-year surge exceeding 300% in orders for large home appliances. Notably, On June 18, JINGDONG Logistics launched JoyExpress, its self-operated B2C express delivery service in Saudi Arabia, providing delivery as fast as same-day or next-day. JD couriers collectively traveled approximately 14.4 million kilometers every day during the event—a distance equivalent to circling the globe 360 times.
New business models are driving transformative upgrades for local industries. JD Super, the supermarket division of JD.com, is now collaborating with more than 100 specialized agricultural belts nationwide, helping farmers to establish over 1 million mu (or approximately 66,667 hectares) of JD-certified production bases. These efforts not only boost sales of regional specialties like Lingnan lychees but also pass savings directly to consumers through streamlined farm-to-table pricing.
On the technology front, JD Technology’s Digital Representatives powered over 17,000 brand live-streaming rooms. These AI virtual assistants went beyond merely handling overnight broadcasts; they actively engaged with audiences across multiple time slots, gaining widespread popularity. Crucially, the technology lowered the barriers to entry for smaller businesses, enabling even modestly resourced merchants to easily adopt and benefit from 24/7 interactive sales channels. Meanwhile, JD Cloud’s JoyBuild, a large language model-development platform powering the festival’s technical backbone, saw its API calls surge by 212% compared to the same period last year.
The success of JD.com’s 618 promotion demonstrates how innovation and consumer needs drive each other. By strengthening every link in our supply chain—from farmers’ fields to AI systems to delivery networks—we create shared benefits. Whether customers shop through their screens or at offline stores, JD.com delivers consistent high quality, great value, and premium service.