JD.com and Meili Inc. Form New Joint Venture to Further Strengthen Social Commerce Experience

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In a move to make online shopping more fun, exciting and fulfilling for Chinese consumers, JD.com, China’s largest retailer, and social e-commerce leader, Meili Inc., today announced the formation of a joint venture to bring innovative social e-commerce features to shoppers and a vast set of tools to businesses that want to reach consumers through social media.

The new company will build and operate a social commerce platform leveraging JD’s current level-1 entry point on Weixin, the most popular social platform in China. This will enable the platform and its merchants to reach a broader customer base with innovative and interactive features.

The platform will help to attract more merchants and expand the selection of products available through JD’s Weixin shopping entry point, particularly in long-tail product categories, like apparel, where Meili Inc. excels. Merchants selling through the new platform will gain access to JD’s unrivaled logistics network and customer service offer, helping them both reach customers, and leave them satisfied at the end of the shopping experience.

“This new JV combines JD’s unequalled expertise in customer service, logistics, retail infrastructure, and its reputation for quality and authenticity with Meili’s clear social commerce leadership and its ability to reach female shoppers, particularly in lower-tier cities. The new platform will change the way that sellers are able to target and serve a wide range of underserviced consumers in China,” said Chen Qi, CEO and founder of Meili Inc., who has been named chairman of the new joint venture.

Established in mid-2016, Meili Inc. primarily targets female customers, and includes several different platforms under it, including MOGU Street and Meilishuo, among other popular shopping sites. As the leader in Chinese social commerce, Meili Inc. is experienced in integrating community, content and e-commerce and has already leveraged this strength to achieve significant success within the Weixin ecosystem in the last year.

The new platform is scheduled to launch before next month’s Chinese New Year. It is expected to revolutionize e-commerce by lowering customer-acquisition and service cost for merchants, especially small and medium-sized businesses, which will be able to leverage the huge volume of traffic coming through JD’s Weixin shopping entry point.

Derek Lam Makes China Debut on JD.com’s Toplife Luxury Platform

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Derek Lam is launching in China for the first time with a flagship store on Toplife, an independent online luxury platform operated by JD.com.

Derek Lam’s signature is American minimalism in its most refined form. His women’s fashion collections are known for their modern sensibility, calculated simplicity and thoughtful detailing. Celebrity clients include accomplished professional women such as Cate Blanchett, Michelle Obama, Kendall Jenner and Margot Robbie. Derek Lam’s Toplife store will feature the brand’s latest collections, including women’s clothing and shoes.

“Toplife is a truly full-service, end-to-end solution, unlike any other, that shows JD understands the needs of luxury fashion brands.”

—Jan-Hendrik Schlottmann, Chief Executive Officer of Derek Lam International

Toplife launched in October as a curated, full-price platform on which luxury brands can have complete control over customer experience. It is designed to wow shoppers from the time they’re browsing, through the purchase and until the product is delivered, with white gloves, to their doors.

“China has long been an important market for luxury, and is now also an important hub for design,” said Jan-Hendrik Schlottmann, Chief Executive Officer of Derek Lam International. “As China’s trusted source for authentic, branded and imported goods, JD.com is the perfect partner for our entry into the market. And Toplife is a truly full-service, end-to-end solution, unlike any other, that shows JD understands the needs of luxury fashion brands.”

“We are delighted to add Derek Lam to the offering on Toplife. Chinese consumers are increasingly discerning when it comes to quality, and want more variety to define their personal styles,” said Winston Cheng, President of International at JD.com. “That’s why it was important to create a new type of online luxury model. Brands shouldn’t have to make sacrifices in customer experience to embrace e-commerce.”

JD.com is China’s largest retailer, with more than 266 million customers. Fashion is one of the fastest growing categories on JD.

Derek Lam and other brands on Toplife get access to JD’s advanced marketing technology, including highly-targeted social media advertising through JD’s partnership with Tencent, which operates WeChat, China’s most popular social network.

In addition, brands on Toplife work closely with a team of luxury fashion specialists at JD.com, and have the option to store their inventory in a temperature and humidity-controlled luxury warehouse. Their products are delivered via JD Luxury Express, a delivery service for high-value goods staffed by a specially-trained team in electric vehicles and white gloves.

Other brands currently on Toplife include Emporio Armani, Tod’s and LVMH’s Rimowa.

JD Partners with Leading Chinese Real Estate Developer to Open Unmanned Convenience Stores Across China

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Smart tech is poised to make a trip to the local convenience store even easier. For shop operators, integrating technology into the procurement process will facilitate inventory management and daily store operations. JD.com, China’s largest retailer and a pioneer in smart store solutions, has linked up with leading Chinese real estate developer China Overseas Land & Investment LTD. (COLI) with the goal of opening hundreds of unmanned convenience stores leveraging COLI’s real estate resources across China.

JD began testing its unmanned convenience store solution at its headquarters in Beijing in October. The JD Unmanned Convenience Store, developed fully in-house by JD’s logistics innovation lab JDX is powered by JD’s own technology and algorithms. It offers a complete solution integrating various smart technologies such as RFID, facial recognition and image recognition. The JD HQ store’s first few months in operation have already seen average daily customer flow around 1,000 and repeat purchasing rate nearing 70%.

The space for the new stores across China will be provided by COLI, while JD will fully integrate its self-developed technology and provide support in operating the stores leveraging its expertise in supply chain and logistics.

Thanks to JD’s leadership in advanced technology and continued commitment to opening its technology to empower others, JD is well-positioned to support COLI to develop a smart city solution in China.  The smart city solution will integrate JD’s unmanned convenience store solution and an “automated pharmacy” – a vending machine that can hold up to 1,500 boxes of medicine and features smart inventory replenishment leveraging JD’s smart supply chain.

In addition, it is also expected to incorporate JD’s smart logistics solutions such as autonomous delivery vehicles for last-mile delivery. The vehicles have pre-programmed routes and secure lockers, enabling customers to select a preferred delivery time and location to easily retrieve their purchases.

Walmart, JD.com, IBM and Tsinghua University Launch a Blockchain Food Safety Alliance in China

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Collaboration to apply blockchain technology for food traceability to support offline and online consumers

Walmart, JD.com, IBM, and Tsinghua University National Engineering Laboratory for E-Commerce Technologies announced today they will work together in a Blockchain Food Safety Alliance that will kick off with a collaboration designed to enhance food tracking, traceability and safety in China, to achieve greater transparency across the food supply chain.

The four companies will work together to create a standards-based method of collecting data about the origin, safety and authenticity of food, using blockchain technology to provide real-time traceability throughout the supply chain. This will encourage accountability and give suppliers, regulators and consumers greater insight and transparency into how food is handled, from the farm to consumers. This has traditionally been challenging due to complex and fragmented data sharing systems that are often paper-based and can be error-prone.

Walmart, JD, IBM and Tsinghua University will work with food supply chain providers and regulators to develop the standards, solutions and partnerships to enable a broad-based food safety ecosystem in China. IBM will provide its IBM Blockchain Platform and expertise, while Tsinghua University will act as a technical advisor sharing its expertise in the key technologies and the China food safety ecosystem. IBM and Tsinghua will collaborate with Walmart and JD to develop, optimize and roll out the technology to suppliers and retailers that join the alliance.

As a world leader in global food safety, Walmart works closely with suppliers, regulators, industry partners and the research community around the world. In China, it invests heavily in food safety research through the Walmart Food Safety and Collaboration Center and has promoted food safety, both through its own supplier network, as well as working with JD, which has rich omni-channel food supply chain management experience. The two have been able to leverage JD’s expertise in the application of artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, big data and other new technologies to protect consumers.

Following IBM and Walmart’s announcement in August of a new consortium to enhance food safety, this collaboration brings IBM’s blockchain food safety expertise to China. IBM, Walmart and Tsinghua University have piloted the use of blockchain to trace food items, including pork in China and mangoes in the U.S., as they move through the supply chain to store shelves. Recent testing by Walmart showed that applying blockchain reduced the time it took to trace a package of mangoes from the farm to the store from days or weeks to two seconds.

“As a global advocate for enhanced food safety, Walmart looks forward to deepening our work with IBM, Tsinghua University, JD and others throughout the food supply chain. Through collaboration, standardization, and adoption of new and innovative technologies, we can effectively improve traceability and transparency and help ensure the global food system remains safe for all,” said Frank Yiannas, vice president, food safety and health at Walmart.

“Partnering with IBM, Tsinghua University and Walmart, all global leaders in traceability, gives our customers and partner brands unparalleled accountability,” said Yongli Yu, President of JD-Y, JD.com’s supply chain research unit. “Throughout the world, and particularly in China, consumers increasingly want to know how their food is sourced, and JD is dedicated to using technology to promote complete transparency.”

“Blockchain holds incredible promise in delivering the transparency that is needed to help promote food safety across the whole supply chain. This is a fundamental reason why IBM believes so strongly in the impact this technology will have on business models,” said Bridget van Kralingen, senior vice president, IBM Industry Platforms. “By expanding our food safety work with Walmart and Tsinghua University in China and adding new collaborators like JD.com, the technology brings traceability and transparency to a broader network of food supply chain participants.”

“Tsinghua University is committed to in-depth research into food safety –one of the most important areas for improving quality of life in China and also around the world. We have already been working with IBM and Walmart to create a new model for food traceability, using blockchain to support supply chain transparency and auditability, and we see this new cooperation as an important next step in this endeavour,” said Professor Yueting Chai from the National Engineering Laboratory for E-Commerce Technologies, Tsinghua University.

The collaboration is designed to help ensure brand owners’ data privacy while helping them integrate their online and offline traceability for food safety and quality management channels. Companies that join the alliance will be able to share information using blockchain technology, and plans include them being able to choose the standards-based traceability solution that best suits their needs and legacy systems. This will in turn bring greater transparency to the supply chain and introduce new technologies to the retail sector designed to create a safer food environment and enhance the consumer experience.

The insights gained from the work in China will shed light on how blockchain technology can help improve processes such as recalls and verifications and enhance consumer confidence due to greater transparency in China and around the world.

JD.com Partners with Plug and Play to Nurture Startups in Silicon Valley

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China’s largest retailer, JD.com, today announced a partnership with the world’s largest startup accelerator and innovation center, Plug and Play, to foster the development of new technology to transform retail and logistics, among other areas. The partnership will cover a range of technologies, including, but not limited to AI, cloud, big data and smart supply chain. JD.com will be Plug and Play’s first Chinese e-commerce partner.

JD.com will be Plug and Play’s first Chinese e-commerce partner.

“We are thrilled that we are partnering with Plug and Play, the accelerator responsible for enabling some of today’s leading startups, as we look to deepen our support on innovation in Silicon Valley,” said Dr. Jianwen Liao, Chief Strategy Officer at JD.com. “JD believes that innovation should not only benefit new businesses, but also support traditional industries competing in today’s environment, and we look forward to identifying and partnering with like-minded startups in the US. Partnering with Plug and Play, we hope to unlock the potential of the next generation of companies, and help them succeed both in the US and China.”

As part of the partnership, JD and Plug and Play will jointly launch an accelerator program covering a range of areas and industries. Plug and Play will be responsible for project selection and mentorship while JD will offer its expertise and vast consumer insights, among other resources.

“JD has done an excellent job of building China’s largest online retail platform,” says Saeed Amidi, Founder & CEO of Plug and Play. “This partnership will create new opportunities for them to utilize startup technology in their business and improve customer experience. We are proud to have them join our platform.”

Projects resulting from the cooperation between JD and Plug and Play will be used directly by JD.com to further enhance its own systems, and teams supported through the partnership will be able to sell their products via JD.com’s e-commerce platform.

Danone Waters China Taps JD.com for Logistics in Southwest China

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Danone Waters China (DWC), a subsidiary of Danone Group, will work with e-commerce giant JD.com to distribute its popular beverage products throughout southwest China.

The companies will build a shared warehouse in Chengdu, the capital of China’s southwestern Sichuan province. The facility will use JD.com’s advanced logistics technology to store and manage inventory for the region, not only for orders of DWC products on JD.com, but also for DWC’s own regional fulfillment needs, including offline grocery stores.

Danone Waters China (DWC), a subsidiary of Danone Group, will work with e-commerce giant JD.com to distribute its popular beverage products throughout southwest China.

The shared warehouse will leverage JD’s supply chain management technology, including demand planning, inventory placement, warehouse and transportation management to maximize efficiency across different sales channels. It will serve as a major distribution center in Southwest China, merging online and offline operations for DWC, which has seven factories in China across six regions, with 300 sales offices and nearly 7,000 employees.

The move furthers JD’s push into the logistics business following the creation of JD Logistics earlier this year as a stand-alone business unit. JD operates China’s largest in-house fulfillment and last-mile delivery network, with 405 warehouses and a team of more than 65,000 full-time staff who can deliver more than 92% of JD orders same or next-day.

As part of the joint effort, JD will leverage its big data capabilities, developed over years from analyzing billions of data points. The technology enables JD to help suppliers more accurately predict the ebb and flow of demand, and more efficiently manage stock. JD’s expertise in the area can help limit stock outs, waste, and higher logistics costs for last-minute replenishment that have traditional plagued retail as a result of multiple layers of handling by a mix of third-party providers.

“China is a market with both huge opportunities and major challenges when it comes to managing distribution across our many sales channels,” said Hanbin Lyu, VP of Danone Waters China. “With its impressive in-house logistics network and advanced supply chain management technology, not to mention its trusted position as a platform for high-quality, authentic branded goods in China, JD is an ideal partner to help us maximize efficiency.”

JD has been expanding its efforts to help brands grow their China business by better managing their supply chains. Using its state-of-the-art logistics capabilities, JD recently helped a European dairy brand increase efficiency, enabling it become the top imported milk brand on JD.com.

JD Logistics has also supported delivery of fresh produce and frozen products to consumers in China from major Western retailers. The services rely on JD’s sophisticated cold-chain delivery and monitoring solutions to ensure that over 300 fresh and frozen items, including imported meats, seafood, ice cream, fruits and luxury bakery goods, are delivered at the right temperature and in perfect condition.

The efforts in logistics are part of JD’s broader “retail as a service” strategy. As changing consumer demands are forcing changes throughout global retail models, large-scale e-commerce companies like JD are at the forefront of developing the most efficient and advanced supply chain and logistics technologies that can be used far beyond retail itself.

“We believe our infrastructure and technology will benefit shippers and industries, including those that don’t sell directly on our platform,” Wei Tang, Vice President of Logistics  at JD, said. “Online retailers like JD can lead the way to more efficiency, transparency and reliability in commerce, benefitting both customers and suppliers.”

JD.com Brings E-Commerce to Your Home TV

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Watching TV can be a frustrating experience of being bombarded with irrelevant pop-up ads for products you will probably never buy, but it doesn’t have to be. JD.com has just launched a new initiative to enable consumers to enjoy JD’s convenient and personalized e-commerce experience right from their TV screens.

The JD Smart TV Screen Alliance brings together some of the world’s largest TV manufacturers, projector makers, set-top box makers, content producers, and digital service providers. The members of the alliance, including Samsung, Philips, Konka, Hisense, FFALCON, LeTV, Xiaomi, Whaley and others are committing to integrating new software as standard into their smart TV offerings that will allow smart TV owners to shop on JD.com right from their TV. Some providers will also allow users to enjoy a host of other useful functions.

With the integration, smart TV owners who bind their JD.com accounts with their TVs will be able to buy products shown in the ad feed or even products featured while watching TV shows directly from JD.com with one click of their remote controls or via a voice command. In addition, based on previous browsing and shopping habits on JD.com, consumers will receive more tailored and relevant advertisements pushed directly to their TV screens – the first time such technology has been implemented anywhere in the world – giving brands an opportunity to better target customers who are likely to buy their products.

Some members of the alliance have also agreed to integrate Alpha, JD.com’s smart services platform into their offerings, making JD Smart TV the latest member of JD’s smart product portfolios along with the JD DingDong Smart Speaker and the JD Smart Fridge. Users can control their smart TVs either through voice-activated TV controls or through a JD DingDong Smart Speaker. Those who own JD DingDong-powered smart speakers already enjoy several convenient services including courier, taxi hailing, and laundry pick-up services. Now, with the integration of Alpha into smart TVs, notifications for these services will also show up on users’ TV screens.

“As we dive deeper into smart products, we’re looking for ways to make the shopping experience more seamless and convenient for our users across their home devices,” said Kenny Li, Vice President of JD.com. “By adding smart TVs into our smart products line through this alliance with top device and content providers, consumers gain the benefit of easier shopping and of viewing ads that are actually relevant to them.”

Canada and JD.com to Bring More High Quality Canadian Products to China

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Demand for Canadian products in China has boomed in recent years. Now, through an MOU signed today, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), Canada’s government organization responsible for promoting innovative and sustainable Canadian agriculture and agri-food, and JD.com will look to tap into the China market even more. Hon. Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada; David Murphy, Minister (Commercial) of the Embassy of Canada to China; and Wang Xiaosong, President of JD Fresh, witnessed the signing ceremony.

JD.com will introduce more high-quality Canadian products, including agri-food, fish, seafood and beverages

Under the agreement, over the next year, JD.com will introduce more high-quality Canadian products, including agri-food, fish, seafood and beverages to its 266.3 million customer base. In addition, JD and AAFC will cooperate on marketing and big data analysis to help Canadian brands better understand and reach their target customers in China. They will also work together on specific promotions dedicated to raising awareness for high quality Canadian products.

Working with JD.com has been enormously beneficial for Canadian brands looking to gain more of a foothold in the China market. At a special Canadian brands promotion event this past July, 140,000 live Canadian lobsters were sold within just 24 hours on JD.com, significantly surpassing expectations. Thanks to JD’s advanced in-house logistics, including its cold chain capabilities, brands can rest assured that orders will arrive at customers’ doors in China maintaining the same freshness and high quality that Canadian products are known for.