JD Health Brings No-Cost Medical Consultations and Care to Guizhou’s Mountainous Regions

Posted on by Vivian Yang

by Vivian Yang

From July 12th to 14th, JD Health collaborated with several charitable organizations to provide medical support in the mountainous regions of Guizhou province, located in southwest China. Together with the Lingfeng Foundation in Beijing, China Volunteer Medical Team, and China Social Assistance Foundation, JD Health organized free medical consultation charity events and distributed essential health supplies to address the healthcare needs of rural elderly, chronic disease patients, and disabled individuals. The initiative aimed to conduct free medical consultation charity events and provide essential health supplies, addressing the healthcare service needs of the rural elderly, chronic disease patients, and disabled individuals.

A team of distinguished doctors from prominent hospitals nationwide participated in this initiative. Their specialties encompassed a wide range of medical fields, including internal medicine, cardiology, respiratory medicine, neurology, orthopedics, gynecology, dermatology, general practice, pain medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, and rehabilitation medicine. They were split into four distinct teams, each comprising 6 to 10 medical professionals, who visited various villages to offer in-person medical consultations to locals.

Simultaneously, these experienced doctors conducted daily instructional sessions for village doctors, aimed at enhancing their competency in providing primary healthcare services.

Thanks to the generous support from JD Health and JD’s charitable platform, where merchants can donate via their sales, a total of 9,500 over-the-counter medicines – from pain relief ointments to eye drops -were donated based on the specific needs of the local communities and doctors’ recommendations.

Over the past year, JD Health has formed several effective partnerships with charitable institutions, providing “small medicine boxes” to those in need across China’s rural communities. These contributions have included post-earthquake rescue efforts in Luding, Sichuan, improved emergency response capabilities of grassroots healthcare institutions in Henan, and provided medical supplies and medicinal education to 365 rural schools in Gansu and Sichuan provinces. Through these actions, JD has demonstrated its ability to effectively collaborate with pharmaceutical companies, doctors, merchants, and charitable organizations, utilizing its supply chain connections to promptly and precisely meet diverse healthcare needs.

This year, JD Health has broadened its philanthropic reach, offering more targeted and personalized healthcare support to vulnerable populations in rural areas.  Initiatives have concentrated on diverse demographics, including rural women, children, migrant workers, outdoor laborers, and pneumoconiosis patients. Through more than 10 events, JD Health has to date donated medical supplies and provided health consultation services valued at over 20 million RMB.

With a commitment to enhancing healthcare access in underserved regions, JD Health will continue to utilize its extensive supply chain connections to facilitate effective collaborations with pharmaceutical companies, doctors, merchants, charitable organizations, and other stakeholders. Through these partnerships, JD Health aims to provide more timely and precise healthcare services, contributing to the continual improvement of public health throughout China.

 

(vivian.yang@jd.com)

JD.com Partners with French Luxury Group SMCP for Launch of Sandro, Maje and, Claudie Pierlot Flagship Stores

Posted on by Yuchuan Wang

JD.com announced today the grand opening of Sandro, Maje, and Claudie Pierlot flagship stores from French luxury group SMCP. This launch is set to offer JD.com’s nearly 600 million customers access to over 4,000 high-end products from these top-tier brands.

 

The addition of SMCP flagship stores enriches our fashion repertoire by adding a variety of high-quality products, as well as enhancing our service commitment to our valued customers. To celebrate this new partnership, the stores are offering customers membership coupons up to 50% off during the grand opening period, signifying an exciting opportunity for JD’s customers to enjoy these esteemed brands at special prices.

Beyond offering products, the collaboration with SMCP extends into operations, marketing, and supply chain support. JD.com is committed to helping SMCP’s brands increase their exposure within the Chinese market, providing a one-on-one guidance in advertising strategy to optimize marketing efficiency. In addition, JD aims to foster consumer engagement and interaction through multiple customer-centric initiatives.

Jimmy Lam, CEO of SMCP China, said, “China is one of the fastest growing markets for SMCP in the world. The launch on JD.com not only expands a broader new increment for the brand but also better provides quality products and services for Chinese consumers. In the future, we will work with JD.com to continue to explore more in-depth cooperation and bring more distinctive products to more consumers.”

The debut of SMCP’s flagship stores on JD.com marks a milestone in the company’s endeavor to diversify and upscale its fashion offerings. JD looks forward to this continued partnership and remain committed to meeting the ever-diverse needs of consumers by providing them with top-notch brands and experiences.

 

(yuchuan.wang@jd.com)

JD Logistics and Geopost Announce Strategic Partnership to Strengthen International Express Logistics Services

Posted on by Vivian Yang

by Wang Yuchuan

JD Logistics (JDL) and Geopost announced today a strategic partnership aimed at strengthening their global logistics capabilities. By leveraging JDL’s robust warehousing network and Geopost’s logistics delivery capabilities, the partnership will enhance international express services between China and Europe, offering consumers and businesses high-quality, express logistics services.

JDL and Geopost will establish seamless direct-to-consumer (C2C) and business-to-consumer (B2C) shipping solutions between China and Europe in both directions, ensuring comprehensive end-to-end shipment tracking and delivery through a convenient “one-stop” express delivery service that will include doorstep delivery, dedicated customer support, and cutting-edge digital tracking capabilities throughout the entire logistics process. Furthermore, global reverse logistics will be seamlessly integrated into the service. Clients can expect not only competitive pricing but also accelerated delivery speeds, surpassing industry benchmarks by 1-2 days. These services will benefit individual parcels as well as businesses, small and medium-sized merchants, and direct-to-consumer (DTC) operations, ushering in a new era of efficient and customer-centric logistics solutions.

This collaboration enables JDL to enhance its integrated warehousing and delivery services in Europe. By leveraging Geopost’s extensive delivery network, JDL can significantly expand its coverage area across the continent. This means that parcels originating from JDL’s overseas warehouses in Europe can now offer same-day delivery service, surpassing industry standards, in key countries including Germany, the Netherlands, France, the UK, Spain, and Poland. JDL and Geopost will also develop competitive FBA (fulfillment by Amazon) service capabilities in the European to help merchants increase efficiency and lower costs.

“Our strategic partnership with JDL opens up exciting possibilities as we combine our transportation network with JDL’s exceptional warehousing expertise,” said Eric Dietz, Executive VP and COO of Geopost Europe. “This partnership will also amplify our service offerings, empowering us to delve deeper into the thriving Chinese market to better serve our cross-border consumers and sellers.”

Qun Xue, Vice President of JD.com and Head of JD Logistics International, said, “Europe holds a vital position in JD Logistics’ global vision, and we have diligently invested in establishing a self-operated warehousing and logistics system in this market. Our new partnership marks a significant step forward, enabling JD Logistics to strengthen our global supply chain infrastructure. Through this collaboration, we are poised to elevate our international express logistics service capabilities, delivering improved efficiency and reliability to our valued customers worldwide.”

 

(wangyuchuan@jd.com)

The Future of Industry Marketing with JD.com’s AI-Powered Solutions

Posted on by Yuchuan Wang

Last week, JD.com unveiled its industry-centric ChatRhino large language model (LLM). Designed to cater to a wide variety of sectors, including retail, logistics, finance, health, and municipal services, ChatRhino harnesses the power of 70% generalized data combined with 30% native intelligent supply chain data, providing tailored solutions for real-world industry challenges.

JD.com’s intelligent supply chain boasts a complex and rich data source, encompassing over 10 million proprietary e-commerce SKUs and 50 million industrial product SKUs while serving eight million enterprise clients and over 2,000 industry belts in China. This intricate data network forms an ideal training ground for AI technologies.

 

AIGC Content Marketing Platform – Reducing Costs by 90%

JD.com’s AI-generated content (AIGC) Content Marketing Platform integrates comprehensive product data and the capabilities of ChatRhino to derive a deep understanding of product characteristics. In turn, significantly elevates efficiency and quality of marketing for merchants, particularly SMEs. With a single product image, the platform can autonomously generate an extensive range of essential e-commerce visuals, captivating marketing posters, and detailed product images.

Meeting the rapid needs of store setup, product promotion, and other marketing necessities, the platform has the ability to reduce the cost of each visual set by 90% and cut production time down from seven days to just half a day.

One of the initial beneficiaries of the AIGC platform was JD’s private label brand J.Zao. The video below demonstrates how J.Zao leveraged the platform to generate a full suite of marketing visuals within minutes.

 

AI Growth Marketing Platform – Increasing Marketing Production Efficiency by a Hundredfold

Through simple interactions with the AI Growth Marketing Platform, users can seamlessly create comprehensive marketing campaigns, including operational strategies, personnel arrangements, quick campaign page setups, bulk creation of marketing copy and materials, and digital delivery.

This breakthrough solution significantly reduces human-computer interactions from over 2,000 to fewer than 50, paving the way for a hundredfold increase in increase marketing production efficiency.

A JD engineer shows how to use AI Growth Marketing Platform to launch an online campaign on JDDiscovery 2023

 

Multimodal Digital Presenter for E-commerce Livestreaming – Powering 4,000+ Brand and Merchant Livestreaming Rooms

For retailers and merchants, JD has launched a multimodal digital presenter solution for applications such as livestreaming and shopping guidance. Leveraging ChatRhino’s capabilities, a digital presenter – including image, voice, movements, backdrops visuals, and more – can be created with limited sample materials.

Utilizing JD Cloud’s e-commerce knowledge model, K-PLUG (Knowledge-injected Pre-trained Language Model for Natural Language Understanding and Generation in E-Commerce), users simply need to upload the merchandise URL. The system then intelligently extracts the product details, key specifications, and selling points to create engaging, reader-friendly livestreaming scripts. Traditionally, creating scripts for 50 SKUs would take upwards of five hours, but now with our AI model, content can be generated with just a single click.

To date, JD’s multimodal digital presenter has been integrated into over 4,000 brand and merchant livestreaming rooms, generating over RMB 800 million yuan in GMV.

(yuchuan.wang@jd.com)

JD.com Introduces ChatRhino: Empowering Industry Innovations with an Advanced Large Language Model

Posted on by Yuchuan Wang

by Yuchuan Wang and Vivian Yang

JD.com today unveiled its ChatRhino (Yanxi in Chinese) large language model (LLM) on its 2023 JDDiscovery tech summit, tailored to serve various industries. By combining 70% generalized data with 30% native intelligent supply chain data, JD’s latest AI model offers targeted solutions for real industry challenges across sectors such as retail, logistics, finance, health, and city. Building upon the success of the billion-parameter model K-PLUG launched in 2021 and the 10-billion-parameter model Vega introduced in 2022, JD’s ChatRhino sets a new benchmark as a 100-billion-parameter model.

JD.com has also established a comprehensive LLM tool chain. This includes the MaaS platform “ChatRhino AI Developing and Computing Platform”, the vector database “Vearch,” the upgraded hybrid multicloud OS “Cloud Ship,” the high-performance storage platform “Cloud Ocean,” and the hardware and software integrated virtualization engine “Jing Gang.” In addition to the powerful ChatRhino LLM, JD.com also announced the upgrade of the Youjia DaaS platform and ChatRhino Intelligent Service platform.

“JD’s large model evolution aligns with our relentless pursuit of technology, encompassing the pillars of cost-effectiveness, efficiency, user experience, trustworthiness, inclusiveness, and groundbreaking progress. Our pursuit of cost, efficiency, and experience are deeply ingrained in JD’s business philosophy, serving as the first principles of retail. Moreover, our commitment to trustworthiness, inclusiveness, and breakthrough signifies our dedication to leveraging technology to benefit industries and society as a whole,” said Sandy Xu, CEO of JD.com.

 

An Industry-Savvy Large Model Trained for Real-World Applications

JD’s extensive industry coverage provides ChatRhino with unparalleled advantages. The model can accumulate tens of billions of high-quality interactive data and know-how derived from JD’s various industry scenarios every year. Additionally, ChatRhino possesses exceptional industry generalization capabilities and ensures secure usage for clients both on-cloud and off-cloud.

Peng Cao, Chair of JD.com’s Technology Committee and President of JD Cloud, said, “The digital intelligent supply chain trains industrial large models, while large models leverage supply chains to go deep into industries.”

To deploy ChatRhino’s applications in real-world business scenarios, Dr. Xiaodong He, Director of JD Explore Academy and President of JD Technology’s Intelligent Services and Products Division, outlined a three-step approach:

  • Step 1: By now, JD.com has built a generative large model based on practices within JD.com’s diverse business operations.
  • Step 2: Enhance and iterate the model through highly complex industrial scenarios, creating robust services for industry use by end of the year.
  • Step 3: Fully open up the capabilities of the model for serious commercial applications in early 2024.

Training Tool Kits for Rapid Model Deployment in Industries

JD’s ChatRhino AI Developing and Computing Platform offers tailored solutions for clients’ large models and industry-specific application development. With over 100 training and inference optimization tools, the platform facilitates the seamless transformation of generative models into specialized ones, eliminating the need for lengthy and resource-intensive procedures.

During the summit, JD showcased examples of rapid model deployment, including converting a generative model into a healthcare industry-specific model. What traditionally required a week and a team of over ten scientists can now be accomplished by just 1 or 2 algorithm engineers within minutes. The platform’s model accelerating and optimizing tools significantly reduce model inference costs by 90%.

JD Health’s Jingyi Qianxun (meaning asking doctors thousands of times) Large Model, based on the ChatRhino, utilizes rapid migration and learning of various medical and health scenarios to automatically deploy products and solutions. This technology serves as a robust foundation for telemedicine services.

Another notable demonstration showcased an AI marketing operation platform within the financial sector. Through simple conversations, users can effortlessly create comprehensive marketing campaigns, including operational strategies, personnel arrangement, quick campaign pages setup, bulk generation of marketing copy and materials, as well as digital delivery. Previously, achieving these results required coordination among several different teams, spanning product, R&D, algorithms, design, and analysts. However, now a single person can accomplish these tasks. Moreover, this solution significantly reduces human-computer interactions from over 2,000 to fewer than 50. This innovative approach has the potential to increase marketing production efficiency by a hundredfold.

In the e-commerce domain, the JD Cloud AIGC content marketing platform can now swiftly produce a diverse range of essential e-commerce visuals, captivating marketing posters, and detailed product images using just one product image. These assets cater to the demands of rapid store setup, product promotion, and other marketing requirements. With this advancement, the production cost of each visual set has been reduced by 90%, while the time required has been slashed from seven days to half a day.

If the ChatRhino AI developing and computing platform is the training center for JD’s LLM, the Vearch vector database is the bridge for the AI model to utilize data. Vearch can now support high-performance retrieval from tens of billions of data sources, with latency reduced to milliseconds and availability reaching 99.99%. It has already served over 100 large and medium-sized enterprise users. JD.com has used the vector database for large-scale pre-training of models, reducing inference costs by 80%.

JD.com has also made significant investments in cloud computing infrastructure to support its LLMs. In 2021, JD established Tianqin α, China’s first large-scale computing cluster based on the SuperPOD architecture, located in Chongqing. Tianqin α achieves a remarkable 6.2 times acceleration in inference speed and a 90% reduction in inference costs. It has become an indispensable pillar of computational support for technological innovation.

 

Upgraded Multi-Scenario Solutions Drive Industry Innovation

“Intelligentization takes root first in industries that are at the forefront of digitalization,” said Liqiang Gao, Vice President of JD.com and head of JD Technology’s Solution Center. In sectors such as retail, finance, cities, and logistics, JD has introduced innovative intelligent solutions, harnessing the power of large models to enhance service capabilities and drive transformative change.

JD Logistics launched the 3.0 version of Jinghui Intelligent Supply Chain Data Management Platform. With the support of ChatRhino, Jinghui’s performance in sales forecasting, inventory management and replenishment has been greatly improved, while helping users locate supply chain problems and offer solutions quickly through its interactive supply chain control tower.

JD.com CEO Sandy Xu said, “JD’s journey in developing large language models is closely intertwined with our industry partners. JD is committed to forging strong collaborations with industry partners to continually contribute to the high-quality development of industries through technology innovations.”

JD’s commitment of technology centers around instilling reassurance and trust in its industry partners, particularly in the realm of AI represented by large models. This empowers partners to confidently leverage technology, enabling its transcendence beyond the confines of laboratories and corporate boundaries to create value within industrial scenarios.

 

(yuchuan.wang@jd.com; vivian.yang@jd.com)

JD.com Partners with Leading Home Brands to Launch Green Trade-in Alliance

Posted on by Vivian Yang

by Vivian Yang

At JD.com, we are committed to driving sustainable initiatives that positively impact the environment and promote responsible consumption. On July 11th,  we are thrilled to announce our collaboration with more than 20 esteemed home brands, including Haier, Gree, TCL, Changhong, Midea, Hisense, Arrow, and Philips, as we introduce the Green Trade-In Alliance. Together, we are launching the “Cooling Festival” campaign this summer, dedicated to accelerating the promotion and adoption of trade-in programs. Our goal is to inspire consumers to embrace a green lifestyle while practicing moderation in their consumption habits.

As early as 2016, JD.com pioneered the “trade-in” service for home appliances. Over the years, we have expanded our offerings to cover more than 100 subcategories, encompassing a wide range of small and large appliances. JD Retail’s home appliance division has consistently enhanced the trade-in experience, establishing a mature and comprehensive system that attracts more consumers to participate in the program while ensuring the proper treatment of discarded household appliances. Currently, our trade-in service covers over 95% of cities and towns nationwide, making it easily accessible for customers across the country.

To provide a transparent pricing system and a convenient trade-in experience for larger home appliances, JD has introduced six guarantees. Regardless of where consumers originally purchased their appliances, or their brand, age, or condition, consumers can trade them in on JD.com. We also adhere to the “Three Free Services” policy, which includes complimentary home delivery, appliance dismantling, and moving services. These guarantees ensure that our customers have a seamless and satisfying trade-in experience.

To facilitate the exchange of larger home appliances and goods, such as televisions, refrigerators, washing machines, mattresses, and toilets, JD.com offers a comprehensive service package that includes delivery, installation, removal, and cleaning, reducing the number of home visits from multiple to just 1 to 2 times. This streamlined process ensures a hassle-free experience for consumers, making the transition to new appliances effortless.

As an added incentive, JD.com offers generous discounts of up to 10% on new products to customers participating in the trade-in program. This enticing offer contributed to the success of JD’s home appliance division during this year’s 618 Grand Promotion, witnessing an impressive 150% increase in trade-in transactions compared to the previous year.

The Green Trade-In Alliance provides a valuable opportunity for JD.com and our industry partners to enhance the entire trade-in process. This includes evaluating initial prices for old appliances, streamlining the collection and delivery of new products, and ensuring the proper disposal of used appliances. Through this collaboration, we aim to establish a complete and sustainable industry chain that benefits consumers, producers, recyclers, and the environment as a whole.

According to data provided by China’s National Development and Reform Commission, the country currently boasts over 2.1 billion household appliances, with approximately 100 to 120 million being discarded each year. However, the formal recycling rate remains disappointingly low, standing at just 30%. Moreover, outdated appliances pose risks to consumer safety and property due to their unreliable performance. It has become imperative for the industry to prioritize responsible disposal and utilization of discarded appliances. Our commitment to this cause is crucial as we work towards a green and low-carbon future, with the emerging “internet+recycling” model serving as a promising solution.

Through the Green Trade-In Alliance, JD.com is fostering a culture of environmental consciousness and encouraging consumers to make conscious choices that benefit both themselves and the planet. Together with our industry partners, we are determined to create a greener, cleaner, and more sustainable future.

 

(vivian.yang@jd.com)

Rising Demand for Functional Pet Food in China: Insights from JD Pet and Solid Gold Forum

Posted on by Vivian Yang

by Vivian Yang

The pet industry in China is undergoing a significant shift as pet owners increasingly seek out functional pet food options. Recently, at the second Pet Nutrition and Health Technology Innovation Forum hosted by JD Pet and Solid Gold Pet in Beijing on July 6th, it was revealed that the search volume for functional pet food keywords on JD.com has skyrocketed. The search volume for functional pet food keywords surged 80 times compared to last year, indicating the rising popularity of pet food with specific functions among Chinese pet owners, including weight management, gut health, and improved coat quality.

Sales Growth of Functional Pet Food on JD Pet

JD Pet’s sales data for the first half of this year indicate significant growth in immune-boosting kitten food, with sales increasing by 297% compared to last year. Probiotic cat food also saw a 200% increase in internal searches on the platform.

Science-based Nutrition Guidelines

During the forum, experts from the Animal Nutrition Branch of the China Animal Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine Association emphasized the crucial role of the immune system in overall pet health. They also highlighted the limited knowledge and misconceptions many pet owners have regarding pet food, which can lead to weakened immune systems and health issues for their beloved pets. In response to this challenge, Solid Gold has partnered with JD Pet to release the “Expert Guidelines on Immune Nutrition for Dogs and Cats.” This collaborative effort aims to bridge the information gap and provide professional, science-backed advice on enhancing pet immune health for Chinese consumers.

Success of New Product Launches

Solid Gold and JD Pet jointly launched a new pet food product this year, featuring fresh salmon ingredients and omega for improved fur health. Within just four months, it became one of the top 20 bestselling cat food options on JD.com. Additionally, a nutrient-boost meal topper achieved over 300% growth in transaction volume from March to June.

Enhancing Resources, Users, and Operations

JD Pet announced three integrated strategies during the forum to support brands and merchants in reducing costs, increasing efficiency, and driving growth. Initiatives such as flash sales, live-streaming events, and curated collections are being implemented to provide an engaging shopping experience for pet owners. JD Pet also leverages its pet users’ membership system to offer personalized shopping experiences and enhance brand-customer engagement.

JD Pet’s Vision to Omni-channel

Lu Liu, the head of JD Pet, emphasized the company’s commitment to leading industry trends and promoting high-quality growth. JD Pet has implemented plans to introduce trendy products, support trending brands, and expand into popular channels. By providing comprehensive online and offline channel solutions, JD Pet aims to help pet brands thrive in the dynamic Chinese market.

 

(vivian.yang@jd.com)

JD Logistics to Develop Autonomous Driving Technology Ecosystem for Logistics Industry, Signs Partnership with AutoCore.ai

Posted on by Yuchuan Wang

JD Logistics has announced a partnership with AutoCore.ai, a leading intelligent mobility software and automotive electrical and electronic architecture (EEA) solution provider. Together, the two companies will co-build end-to-end and multi-scenario autonomous driving systems specifically designed for the logistics industry. This partnership marks an important step for JD Logistics in creating a technology ecosystem that brings together automotive parts suppliers and autonomous driving partners.

As a founding member of the Autoware Foundation, the world’s largest open-source community for autonomous driving, AutoCore.ai plays a key role in advancing the field. Through its collaboration with AutoCore.ai, JD Logistics will harness the global R&D prowess that AutoCore.ai brings to the table. This partnership allows JD Logistics to work closely with industry stakeholders, coordinating efforts to establish interconnection specifications and standards for data, algorithms, sensors, applications, computing platforms, tool chains, vehicle-cloud connection, value-added application management, deployment, and more. JD Logistics aims to provide scalable application standards that cater to various logistics scenarios.

“We are thrilled to join forces with JD Logistics, a visionary leader in autonomous driving. Their relentless pursuit of innovation is poised to revolutionize the logistics industry, bringing about significant positive change,” said Dr. Yang Zhang, Chairman of AutoCore.ai and Co-Founder of the Autoware Foundation. “Through this partnership, we are inviting more ecosystem partners to join us in the pursuit of large-scale deployment of autonomous driving solutions.”

JD Logistics has been at the forefront of researching autonomous last-mile delivery vehicles since 2016. The latest Generation Five Autonomous Delivery Vehicle, capable of carrying up to 200 kilograms and travelling up to 100 kilometers per charge, is a testament to this commitment. Supported by advanced R&D team and a rich trove of logistics data, JD Logistics has successfully developed world-leading autonomous driving algorithms specifically designed for low-speed logistics.

Earlier in March, JD Logistics’ self-developed algorithm “MVS-Fusion” accomplished a milestone achievement in the autonomous driving visual algorithms arena. Leveraging purely visual 3D object detection, it reached an exceptional mAP (mean average precision) of 55.54% without the need for future frame data, catapulting JD Logistics to the to the top of the internationally recognized nuScenes leaderboard.

At present, over 600 JD Logistics autonomous vehicles are in operation in 30 cities across China, serving a wide range of environments including compounds, shopping centers, and office buildings. These robots not only offer customers a plethora of flexible delivery options, but they also make it simpler for supermarkets to provide on-demand delivery services. Select vehicles come equipped with an advanced cold and heating storage system for food product offerings, thereby widening the spectrum of goods JD Logistics can deliver to customers’ doorstep. The fleet also includes indoor delivery robots, making their rounds in malls and office buildings in more than 10 cities, including Beijing and Shanghai.

 

(yuchuan.wang@jd.com)