JD Big Data: Young People Drive Consumption for Spring Tea

Posted on by Ling Cao

by Ling Cao

JD’s data shows that young customers between 26-35 years old have become a rising consumption force for sales of Dragon Well green tea, while customers who are 25 and under tend to buy white tea.

As tea farmers across China are busily collecting fresh leaves during the current spring tea season, JD Big Data Research Institute has published a report on tea consumption and shopping behaviors in China on Mar. 26. According to the report, the top three spring tea varieties by sales are Dragon Well from Hangzhou, Zhejiang, Zhuyeqing from Sichuan and Maojian from Xinyang, Henan.

Sai Wang, head of the tea department at JD Super said, “More and more young people tend to buy tea, and they care more about the quality. Customers are concentrating on a healthy lifestyle.”

The report reveals that customers who purchase spring tea often buy other food products, such as cakes, snacks, condiments, milk and dairy products, as well as instant food. Among these, beverages with zero calories, black chocolate, low-calorie cake and sugar-free coffee are popular. Data shows that sales of instant food with low calories, sugar-free coffee or milk tea products increased 432% and 100%, respectively, comparing the first three weeks in March 2021 with same period the previous month.

Online channels are gradually increasing for the tea market, with market share continuously growing from 2016 to 2020, according to an industry report. Despite COVID-19, the online tea market was valued at RMB 28 billion yuan at the end of 2020, an increase of 15.23% YOY, according to the report.

 

(ling.cao@jd.com)

JD Health to Provide Services for Children with Autism

Posted on by Vivian Yang

by Vivian Yang

JD Health and PKUcare Brain Health, China’s leading research and treatment platform for childhood psychiatric health, announced to build a platform for children with autism on Apr. 2, World Autism Awareness Day.

The platform will bring online and offline resources together to create one-stop services that range from knowledge popularization, medical screening, and diagnosis to rehabilitation for children with mental health disorders.

“The treatment and rehabilitation for children with autism spectrum disorder and other mental disorders is often a long-term process. Our collaboration with JD Health will concentrate more premier resources to provide continued and tailored support to our child patients and their families,” said Lei Wang, general manager of PKUCare Brain Health at the cooperation agreement signing ceremony in Beijing.

JD Health and PKUcare Brain Health,Fangyi Jin (left) and Lei Wang (right) at the signing ceremony

Fangyi Jin (left) and Lei Wang (right) at the signing ceremony

The two sides will work together to form a nationwide network to carry out child development screening, diagnosis and rehabilitation for children up to age 14, and provide tools, medicines, pharmaceutical products and life necessities for 500,000 medical workers and caregivers in primary hospitals and healthcare centers to improve their service capabilities.

JD Health will also provide patients with constant health management services including online consultation, doctor revisiting, periodic follow-ups and more. Besides, the company will work with PKUCare Brain Health on developing healthcare and rehabilitation products to offer more diversified and affordable choices for patients.

Since its launch in April 2020, JD Health’s online psychological consultation platform has been active in cooperating with doctors, hospitals and industry associations to bring high-quality psychological treatment online. The platform now has more than 7,000 psychologists who can provide customers with timely and convenient advice not only during their online consultation process but also when customers select medicines on JD Health that have high relevance to mental illnesses, offering early intervention in the treatment process.

“For children with mental health development disorders, early testing, diagnosis and intervention are key to effective treatment and rehabilitation,” noted Fangyi Jin, general manager of specialized internet hospitals of JD Health, “JD Health will continue to strengthen collaboration with PKUCare Brain Health and other industry partners to provide  efficient and long-term healthcare services for children in need, helping them to better fit into society and letting their families enjoy a healthy and happier life.”

The healthcare platform for children with autism on JD Health

The healthcare platform for children with autism on JD Health

According to PKUCare Brain Health’s report, China has about three million children with autism. The platform aims to cover over 140 million people in China affected by autism including the children themselves and their family members.

PKUCare Brain Health is under Peking University’s healthcare group and co-founded by Peking University’s Sixth Hospital that specializes in clinical psychiatric studies. By the end of 2019, the company has supported over 250,000 children with mental health disorders and established collaboration with nearly 300 offline healthcare centers for children with autism across the country.

 

(vivian.yang@jd.com)

 

Fresh Produce Merchants in Shanghai: Attracting more Young Customers via JD

Posted on by Ling Cao

by Ling Cao

After JD recently announced that it will help nearly a hundred fresh produce markets in Shanghai go digital, merchants in one included market are already feeling the impact of that cooperation.

“My sales have gradually increased, and more young customers are purchasing my products,” said Mr. Wang, a merchant who operates a tofu stall at Kangwu fresh produce market in Shanghai. “The traditional fresh produce market has faced operation challenges with less foot traffic, so it’s important that we embrace the online platforms.”

JD has also offered support and guidance in increasing sales and cutting costs, Wang said. For example, JD suggested adjusting package sizing for online orders to suit younger customers’ preferences.

This is the first time for Mr. Wang to do business with an online platform. “I would purchase products on JD as well, and many of my customers do too, so it’s easier to talk with them about my online channels and they are willing to try ordering online from my stall.”

Mr. Hu, another merchant at the same market, has worked in the industry for over 20 years. He expressed a positive attitude toward this business model.

“Especially during night time when I’ve closed the offline stall, customers can still make orders online, and JD’s system will alert me in the next morning, making it convenient for me and my customers,” he said.

Mr. Hu shared that nowadays the offline market is mostly frequented by senior customers, while JD’s online platform is an important addition to attract youngsters who are busy at work and lack the time to visit offline markets. “I hope more and more young people can purchase my products via JD’s online platform,” he said.

Additionally, online channels can also benefit Mr. Hu’s existing customers, giving them more flexibility to purchase daily necessities from their favored stall online or offline.

JD’s market digitalization program has already covered Xuhui, Jing’an and Changning districts in Shanghai, and is on the way to cover  broader area in Shanghai.

 

(ling.cao@jd.com)

JD Health: Let TCM Meet Internet, IoT and AI

Posted on by Yuchuan Wang

by Yuchuan Wang

“The pandemic has put Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) under the spotlight, and we’ve seen more and more people looking for traditional medicine treatment on our platform,” said Ximu Li, director of the TCM center at JD Health, China’s leading online healthcare platform affiliated to JD.com.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, both western and TCM means are being applied in China for the treatment of the disease. The promising results have helped TCM gain more recognition both domestically and overseas.

Ximu Li, director of JD Health TCM centerXimu Li, director of JD Health TCM center

Despite its long history, the development of TCM has encountered some hurdles. According to data from China’s National Health Commission, there are over 34,000 hospitals nationwide, among which TCM hospitals (including integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine hospitals) account for only 12%.

“There is fertile soil for TCM’s development, as most Chinese people would like to see TCM doctors,” said Chunye Wang, an online TCM doctor at JD Health. “But the limited resources can serve only a small portion of patients, and some may not get the authentic services.”

This is where Internet hospitals like JD Health can play a role. In June 2020, JD Health unveiled a TCM consultation center, which provides users with services from online, and group consultation, prescriptions filing, herbal decoctions preparation and doorstep delivery of medicines, among many others.

So far, JD’s TCM center has attracted over 9,000 doctors to join, quite a few of which are TCM masters and renowned experts.

JD Health TCM center  JD Health TCM center

 

TCM under the telemedicine model

Having originated in China and now widely accepted both in China and other parts of the world, TCM has a long history that can be traced back thousands of years. Around 770–221 BC (the Spring and Autumn period), Chinese practitioners formed the initial TCM theory and began to use four standard methods of diagnosis: inspection (望), auscultation & olfaction (闻), inquiry (问) and palpation (切).

“Inspection” is a process to examine a patient’s physical and mental status, by observing the patient especially the shape, size, color and coating of a person’s tongue. “Auscultation and olfaction” involve listening to the sound of the body such as breathing and coughing, and for some specific diseases, smelling a person’s body odor. “Inquiry” is to understand the patient’s major complaints.

Among the four diagnostic methods, palpation is believed to be the trickiest part to be taken online because it involves assessing a patient’s pulse by touching both wrists.

IoT technology is of great significance for the development of TCM and the broader medical industry. “We’re seeing a number of electrical devices customized for pulse reading being tested in the market. I believe they will be available in the near future, and will be similar to blood and heart rate monitoring meters, which are no longer rare for family scenarios,” said Li. “The smart wearable device industry is expected to make a breakthrough for the whole healthcare industry.”

“Actually, although palpation is important to TCM diagnosis, it is not essential to obtain a patient’s physical status, especially for online consultation, which are mostly utilized for common diseases or mild symptoms,” said Li.An electrical pulse reading device selling on JD at the price RMB 1,580 yuan (~US$ 240)An electrical pulse reading device selling on JD at the price RMB 1,580 yuan (~US$ 240)

At JD Health, online doctors are empowered by three consultation methods including text, phone call and video call.

“Through video and photo our doctors can assess many characteristics of the patient remotely, such as their tongue coating status, skin condition, eye color and many other details that can help doctors judge the status of the patient and provide further medical help,” added Li.

JD Health TCM doctor analyzes a patient’s tongue conditionJD Health TCM doctor analyzes a patient’s tongue condition

“For patients in more severe conditions, we have also established an offline ecosystem that is connected to local hospitals. The medical information that is assessed via the palpation method can be collected by offline doctors and shared online, which means JD Health’s renowned experts can do a group consultation and ultimately make a comprehensive diagnosis, effectively breaking the geographical barrier for the medical resource imbalance.”

 

Hassle-free herbal decoction preparation

Decoction is a method of boiling herbal or plant material to extract nutrients and dissolve chemicals, which usually takes hours. It is sometimes challenging for patients to do the decoction themselves at home, as the precise method and order of boiling the herbal materials and duration also affect its effectiveness. Now the complicated preparation process can be handled by experts and available through one click on JD Health’s app.

As soon as a patient finishes the consultation online, JD will provide the herbal decoction or slice service immediately, in collaboration with leading herbal decoction companies such as TRT Health and TCMages Pharmaceutical. Thanks to JD Logistics nationwide logistics service, the medicine will be delivered as fast as in 24 hours to users’ doorsteps.

Moreover, patients can also upload a photo of their own TCM prescriptions from offline hospitals, and JD will help prepare and deliver the medicine accordingly.

In order to ensure the quality of traditional medicines, JD Health has set up a series of standards for medicine quality and service in collaboration with leading TCM companies including TRT Health. Professionals from the platform will strictly observe these standards in preparing the TCM slices. At the same time, the whole supply chain of the medicine preparation is made transparent and traceable.

 

The future – intelligent TCM

“A veteran TCM doctor requires extensive clinical experience. In China, it takes about 15 to 20 years after graduation from TCM study to become a veteran,” said Li. “And it is much more difficult to become a TCM master. There are only 90 TCM masters nationwide, which requires at least 50 years of clinical experience.”

“As a result, the standardization of treatment is urgent for the continuation of TCM, so that young doctors can diagnose with the skill of a veteran, and doctors from primary level hospitals can take reference from TCM masters’ prescriptions to provide better consultation service for patients in lower-tier cities,” Li added.

This standardization is also being explored for “Intelligent TCM,” which uses advanced technologies including AI and big data to digitalize veteran doctors’ experiences and can be integrated into the hospital information system (HIS). “The basic idea is to enable AI and big data to learn how a veteran TCM doctor treats a patient, and empower every TCM doctor through system integration.”

At the JD-powered Internet hospital of the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine, AI and big data play a vital role.

JD-powered Internet hospital of the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine

JD-powered Internet hospital of the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine

For example, AI is used in the online triage process. By analyzing the symptoms that a patient inputs online, the system will automatically dispatch a doctor whose expertise matches the patient’s condition, enabling an efficient and precise consultation experience.

JD Health also helps integrate verified TCM prescriptions and flags potential incompatible herbal treatments in the system. On the one hand, doctors can reference verified prescriptions, which helps reduce their workloads. On the other hand, the system can automatically remind doctors and patients which herbal medicines may pose a conflict, enhancing medication safety.

As of now, 36 medical departments of the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of TCM have launched services on JD Health, with more than 80% of doctors already seeing patients online. Since June 2020, this Internet hospital has received patients from over 20 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in China, with a satisfaction rate of 95%.

“What we are doing is transforming TCM to be equipped with Internet technologies,” said Li. “Although China’s core medical resources are still concentrated in first-tier cities, the intelligent TCM solution will bring TCM theory and practical experiences to the doctors in community hospitals or healthcare units, and promote the inclusive development of the whole industry. Our work will also help preserve the inheritance of TCM from generation to generation.”

Li hopes that in 2021 JD can empower more offline hospitals with digital tools, equip more doctors with veteran expertise, bring more experts online and let more patients enjoy universal TCM services. “Let TCM become a lifestyle for Chinese people, not only a medical service.”

 

(yuchuan.wang@jd.com)

JD Speeds Up Delivery by Enabling Air Transportation from 310 Cities

Posted on by Yuchuan Wang

by Yuchuan Wang

JD Express, JD Logistics’ express delivery business, announced today that it will further speed up its express delivery services nationwide. It is expected that parcels from 310 cities in China can be delivered by air through JD Express by September. The number of next-morning and next-day delivery routes will be increased by 50% or more.

Apart from its partnership with Zhejiang Loong Airlines and Zhongyuan Longhao Airlines to invest in all-cargo aircrafts, JD also leverages cargo spaces from airlines including China Southern Airlines, Air China and China Eastern Airlines among many others to provide faster services.

At the same time, JD Express will optimize its operation efficiency from warehousing, sorting, transferring and delivery to advance the fulfilment time by at least 3 hours, enabling more lower-tier cities to enjoy 24-hour cross-province delivery. JD Express is also committed to returning delivery fees for delayed parcels in 140 cities.

“Last year, we announced the comprehensive acceleration of our express delivery service,” said Jun Fan, head of JD Express. “We will further raise the proportion of next-morning and next-day deliveries to provide a fast and high-quality express delivery experience for nationwide customers.”

 

(yuchuan.wang@jd.com)

British Designer Brand Yuzefi Launches Flagship Store on JD

Posted on by Hui Zhang

by Hui Zhang

Yuzefi, a London handbag brand with a cult following on Instagram, launched a flagship store on JD on Mar. 29. This is the first time for the designer brand to open a flagship store on an e-commerce platform in China.

The brand’s best-selling collections, such as Dip, Daria, Bom, Loaf, which are difficult to order globally, are made available on JD through the store. Meanwhile, Yuzefi also introduced its new Small Woven Basket, Doris and Mini Fortune Cookie collections through the flagship store.

Yuzefi, a London handbag brand with a cult following on Instagram, launched a flagship store on JD on Mar. 29.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, an increasing number of consumers, especially China’s consumers who born after 1980  are the core purchesers of luxury products on JD, which are also the target consumers of Yuzefi. In addition to high-quality young consumers, JD’s nationwide logistics network with a guarantee of delivery efficiency is another reason why Yuzefi launched a store on JD.

JD’s nationwide logistics network with a guarantee of delivery efficiency is another reason why Yuzefi launched a store on JD.

 

Multiple renowned fashion and luxury brands have launched flagship stores on JD.com since the fourth quarter of 2020, including Italian luxury brand Stefano Ricci, British designer brand Vivienne Westwood, LVMH Group fashion brand JW Anderson, designer accessories brand Anya Hindmarch, French silverware and jewelry brand Christofle and Japanese streetwear label White Mountaineering.

“Since the outbreak of pandemic, we are facing an increasing demand for of luxury brands’ products. JD Luxury is targeting to increase its luxury partner pool so as to provide a wide range of selections for JD’s consumers,” said Kevin Jiang, president of International Business at JD Fashion and Lifestyle.

 

(zhanghui36@jd.com)

JD Health FY 2020: Accelerating Digitalization Through Technology

Posted on by Hui Zhang

by Hui Zhang

Lijun Xin, CEO of JD Health stressed the importance of technology in the process of digitalizing the healthcare industry, in a letter accompanying the release of JD Health’s 2020 financial results on Mar. 29.

These are the first annual results the company have released since its listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (6618.HK) on Dec. 8, 2020.

JD Health strives to promote the development of the technology-driven digitalized and intelligent healthcare industry by partnering with public hospitals at all levels to embrace “Internet + Healthcare”, piloting Health City projects, as well as developing AI-based applications of medication services, according to Xin.

JD Health has cooperated with a number of top-tier hospitals in China to build Internet hospitals, developing patient-centered, online and offline integrated smart solutions throughout the entire medical process and helping improve patients’ medical experiences.

For example, JD Health cooperated with Tianjin Nankai Hospital to build the Nankai JD Internet Hospital by providing Tianjin residents with consultation, health management advisory and services for follow-up visits. Meanwhile, with the support of Tianjin’s regional basic medical insurance policy, JD Health is able to connect to basic medical insurance reimbursement services for follow-up consultations and medications.

In terms of launching “Health City” projects, JD Health cooperated with the Health Commission of Hubei province, jointly promoting rehabilitation and psychological consultation projects for patients recovered from COVID-19 . Additionally, JD Health is helping the city of Beihai to digitalize its regional resident health system and enhance its medical services by expanding and improving the city’s health information platform and developing “Internet + Healthcare” application systems.

JD Heath has also applied AI technology to medication services for enhancing medication safety. Since July 2019, JD Health has been working with the pharmacist team of the Third Hospital of Peking University to develop an AI-enabled pharmaceutical knowledge graph. Meanwhile, JD Health has also built a regional AI-based prescription vetting center with the Beijing Haidian District Health Commission. The center is dedicated to building a knowledge base for medical supply and prescription vetting guidelines, relying on its cutting-edge AI and big data technology, to standardize medication services and drug information in the region, and to ensure medication safety through pre-positioning prescription vetting work.

JD Health released Yaojingtong, an omni-channel digitalization management platform for offline retail pharmacies, allowing offline retail pharmacies to directly connect with targeted upstream suppliers. Additionally, the platform offers various value-added services to offline retail pharmacies by comprehensively covering offline scenarios in order to improve the operational efficiency of pharmacies.

“By leveraging AI, big data and supply chain, we hope to further integrate technology into the healthcare industry to make it possible for people to access more medical resources at lower costs,” said Dongyuan Wang, the general manager of JD Health’s Intelligent Medical Services Department. “We are endeavoring to apply technology to provide high-quality pharmaceutical and healthcare products and professional healthcare services to people.”

 

(zhanghui36@jd.com)

Global Leading Bathroom Brand Duravit Launches Flagship Store on JD

Posted on by Hui Zhang

by Hui Zhang

Duravit, a leading international manufacturer of designer bathrooms with over 200 years of history, launched a flagship store on JD on Mar. 26. The brand chose to debut its SensoWash®® ®  Starck f Shower Toilet in the Chinese market on JD to mark the new store’s opening.

Thanks to booming home improvement demand in China, sales of Duravit in China increased by 20% YOY in 2020. China has become the No. 1 single market for Duravit, and the brand has seen robust sales growth.

JD’s high-quality consumers with strong consumption power are a perfect match for Duravit. Furthermore, JD’s professional home improvement and installation services are one of the reasons why Duravit chose to work with JD. JD’s nation-wide logistics network will also improve Duravit’s delivery efficiency to further meet consumers’ demands for fast delivery.

In addition to the SensoWash® Starck f Shower Toilet designed by prominent designer Philippe Starck, a French industrial architect and designer, Duravit will also bring its other best-sellers, such as integrated intelligent toilets, wall-mounted toilets, and bathroom furniture, to JD. Duravit has also integrated its WeChat mini-program with its flagship store on JD, making it possible for consumers to enjoy a seamless shopping experience.

“JD’s years of accumulation in retail, supply chain, and payments makes the online shopping experience more efficient and smooth, and can also help us to attract and target more consumers,” said Peter Bromberger, Duravit’s managing director China and vice president of Asia Pacific.

“We will work closely with JD to explore e-commerce, and provide consumers with comfortable, clean and ideal bathroom spaces.”

“JD’s efforts in providing high-end home improvement solutions align with Duravit’s focus to create a one-stop decoration solution for consumers. Both sides will work together create more exquisite bathroom improvement solutions for Chinese families,” said Chao He, general manager of JD Home and Lifestyle business.

 

(zhanghui36@jd.com)