by Kelly Dawson

Commuters on Beijing’s subway line 14 may be lucky enough to receive complimentary red roses plucked from gift boxes planted around several stations as part of a campaign by one of JD’s flower merchants intended to inspire spontaneous gift-giving. The roses are sure to brighten commuters’ days, whether given by a shy stranger, or by a travel companion who wants to say a spur-of-the-moment ‘I love you’ with a flower.

Organized by flower vendor Flo Garden, a popular choice on JD.com, the campaign has inspired joking comments on Chinese social media like, “Perhaps if these gift boxes had been available earlier, I would be the mother of two children now.”

Featuring red roses, the gift box is one option among many in the campaign, which feature the corresponding “flower languages” of ‘sweetness’, ‘the chase’, ‘enthusiasm’, ‘joy’ and more. Commuters can also purchase a range of flowers at permanent flower vending machines in various subway stations.

Flo Garden, which is found under JD’s flowers section, also offers month-long floral subscriptions with delivery of a beautiful bouquet each Monday. The flowers are guaranteed to be fresh, thanks to JD’s advanced supply chain network and cold chain capabilities to protect against wilting. Additionally, customers can purchase a flower insurance policy on each order for peace of mind.

 

(kellydawson@jd.com)

by Hui Zhang

JD’s annual Luxury Shopping Festival, which covers a variety of product categories including jewelry, sports, spirits, makeup and household items kicked off on Dec. 18 with the splashiest purchase being a Carl F. Bucherer’s limited edition men’s watch sold for RMB 698,000 yuan.

In addition, Christofle, which opened an official flagship store on JD one day before the Luxury Shopping Festival, also saw a big purchase worth RMB 99,888 yuan on the opening day.

The Luxury Shopping Festival has been held for three consecutive years, and this year will last until the close of Dec. 25. It has attracted over 1,600 global high-end brands with the growth in the number of participants exceeding 100% YOY and the daily sales on Dec. 18 being 20 times of that over the past 30 days. Over 80% of users have purchased more than 2 product categories as a result of the high-quality offerings across multiple categories of products brought by this year’s shopping festival.

Luxury consumers are getting in on the game earlier. The number of Generation Z consumers increased by over 230% on Dec. 18 YOY with trendy shoes, niche bags and delicate jewelry being their favorites. Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu ranked top of the sales list. Wuhan is also among the top rankings after a quiet period of consumption at the beginning of 2020 due to the pandemic, with consumer demands rebounding by the end of the year.

With the coming of Christmas Day, couriers from JD Luxury Express will dress up as Santa Claus to deliver gifts to consumers.

“JD has become a popular choice for Chinese consumers to buy luxury products, as JD has been continuing to enlarge its brand pool by introducing niche brands such as Stone Island, Vivienne Westwood and AMI covering various categories including apparel, shoes, jewelry, and household products,” said a merchandising manager from JD Luxury business.

JD has established partnerships with over 200 luxury brands, including Prada, Miu Miu, Delvaux and Salvatore Ferragamo, covering clothing, bags, shoes, watches, jewelry, home furnishings and other categories, and bringing consumers a high-end luxury consumption experience.

 

(zhanghui36@jd.com)

by Martin Li

JD has partnered with Japanese photographer Mika Ninagawa（蜷川实花） to release a limited holiday collection of apparel.

Ninagawa is known for her brightly colored photographs of flowers, goldfish, and landscapes.

The colorful, limited edition collection includes a messenger bag for men and a lipstick case and mirror for women.

The collection was inspired by Ninagawa’s signature artwork, Goldfish.

Buyers of quality brands on JD, including OLAY, Zippo, Casio, Tissot and Biotherm, have the chance to receive a piece of artwork for free, until Jan. 1.

In the leadup to the Christmas and New Year holidays, JD has also partnered with brands to provide a limited edition gift set to better meet young people’s diversified demands for holiday gifts. Among the brands participating are SK-II, Lancôme, Delvaux, Hogan and Voluspa

In addition, JD Luxury Express also provides non-stop service covering selection, ordering and delivery, in an effort to provide a special holiday shopping experience.

 

(bjlihao3@jd.com)

by Ling Cao

“Leveraging JD’s supply chain, brand awareness and technology-driven capabilities, JD hopes to join hands with partners together to focus on creating a value chain in the industry, helping manufacturers undergo digital transformation,” said Xiaosong Wang, senior vice president of JD.com and head of JD Original, JD’s private label brands department, during a partner conference at JD’s headquarters. He said that JD aims to provide integrated solutions for partners who work with JD.

Xiaosong Wang

JD’s private label brands cover comprehensive categories, including several sub-brands including J.Zao, Hommy, LATIT and Huixun. Dr. Jon Liao, CSO of JD.com, shared during the conference, “JD Original is one of the key chances for JD to go from the downstream chains in retail including merchandise, logistics and post-sale sectors, to the retail industry’s upstream chains including design, R&D and services sectors. JD will hold an open attitude to closely tie with partners to build the ecosystem together.”

Dr. Jon Liao

Based on big data and precise marketing solutions, JD Original will help brands find the right customers with the right demand, gaining sustainable growth. Specifically, JD Original will focus on C2M (Consumer-to-Manufacturer) initiatives and creative marketing methods.

Tom Tang, general manager of J.Zao, shared that since the beginning of this year, J.Zao’s customers and orders both grew nearly 400% YOY. Additionally, customers who search J.Zao on JD increased 147% YOY. This is all based on the quality of products and the algorithm-powered technology for customers. He added, “JD targets to achieve higher growth with partners next year by sharing information and abilities together.”

Tom Tang

Livestreaming is another key factor to ensure JD’s private label brands’ growth. For example, in January Huixun brand’s livestream on Kuaishou drove 4.2 million orders in  10 days. In June, the brand’s livestream on Kuaishou resulted in four Huixun products each selling 1 million orders. And in November, after JD made livestreaming a standard marketing solution, Huixun held 27 livestreams in just one month.

Wilson Zhu, COO of Li & Fung said, “In today’s global economy environment, not all manufacturers are able to easily transition to digitalization. JD Original is a blue sea: combined with JD’s brand recognition, it creates a “short cut” between manufacturers, brands and customers.”

Wilson Zhu

While Bin Chang, founder and managing director of GenBridge Capital, which is the private equity growth fund led by JD, shared during the conference, “Only by data-driven processes can we help brands and manufacturers understand customers. For manufacturers and partners, a very important ability will be learning to use the new generation of infrastructure to leverage platforms like JD.

Bin Chang

 

(ling.cao@jd.com)

by Ella Kidron

Enjoying the rich winter flavors of mulled wine hassle-free is now made possible RIO’s new beverage, which debuted on JD.com on Dec. 19. Ahead of Christmas, the popular domestic ready-to-drink (RTD) brand released its new mulled wine-flavored canned beverage, on sale for a limited time only. The product was a category No. 1 on the first day of sales, and RIO saw a six-time increase in sales YOY.

RIO’s limited edition mulled wine-flavored beverage, available on JD

RTD cocktails are doing very well on JD, especially among young Chinese seeking alcoholic beverages with less alcohol (RIO’s beverages range from 3%-5% alcohol content) and fewer calories. Consumers aged 18-35 account for 60% of the category. Female consumers, who have been observed to prefer lighter beverages, account for over 50% of the total. The new mulled wine product is made of a mix of three grapes – Bonarda, Tempranillo, and Syrah, as well as vodka and other ingredients. It has 5% alcohol content.

In the last three years or so, mulled wine has become popular in China, and RIO’s product aims to capitalize on that trend, especially during the holiday season. The can is a deep red reminiscent of wine, and is decorated with a winter holiday theme, further driving this point home.

The novelty of RTD products is also a huge draw for JD consumers. “Our data shows that consumers are more willing to try new products and brands, especially those that offer something unique and entertaining,” said Yan Liu (刘岩), head of imported spirits at JD.com. As a result, JD offers a host of such products, and many brands choose to debut their latest and greatest on the platform.

RIO is the market leader in RTD in China. The brand was founded in 2003 and is known for its light and often fruity RTD “alcopop” beverages. JD’s emphasis on new products and its understanding of consumers’ demand for items that stand out from the crowd, makes the platform a natural fit for these products. JD and RIO have worked together several times to offer fun and inspired limited-edition products to consumers, including a cherry blossom flavor timed with spring.

 

 

(ella@jd.com)