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JD.com Partners with Top Hotels in Boundaryless Retail Initiative

Posted on by Tracy Yang

In the newest application of JD’s “Boundaryless Retail” strategy, guests at select hotels across China now have the opportunity to experience products from JD.com, China’s largest retailer, from the comfort of their hotel rooms.

Some of the rooms at Wanda, Sheraton, Beijing 5L, Greenland and other hotels will be outfitted with products popular among travelers, including a Philips Sonicare electric toothbrush,  a JD smart speaker or high-performance power banks to charge their devices. The initiative was launched after JD.com found that many of its more than 300 million customers make purchases while traveling, and enjoy the convenience of ordering products with the company’s unparalleled same- or next-day delivery service.

If guests enjoy the products during their hotel stays, they can purchase them on JD by simply scanning a QR code in their rooms. The products are then dispatched either straight to the hotel or to the customer’s home.

View: https://jdcorporateblog.com/chopard-launches-official-flagship-store-on-jd-com/

JD’s smart speaker, one of China’s most popular smart speakers, serves as the perfect personal assistant, providing news, weather, travel and shopping tips, and other assistance during the guests’ stays.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with JD.com to realize this exciting retail initiative,” said Bin Wang, Director of Sales and Marketing at 5L Hotel. “We believe that our guests, who are accustomed to the utmost convenience and comfort, will be delighted to test JD’s smart speaker as a personal assistant and an additional way to shop.”

“We know from our customers that they love to take the convenience of JD everywhere they go. Working with hotels is a great way to show how boundaryless retail can make that experience even more seamless.” said Jing Zhou, Director of JD.com’s lifestyle business. “By partnering with top hotel brands across China, we can both enhance the experience of hotel guests and offer more targeted, high-quality exposure for our brand partners.”

“We’re very excited that our signature Philips Sonicare electric toothbrush was chosen to kick off this exciting partnership between JD.com and many of the industry’s leading hotel chains,” said Cherry Zhang, Senior Director of Health & Wellness, Personal Health, Philips Greater China. “Philips Sonicare is a leader in oral health care. The JD brand is known throughout China as a guarantee of quality and superior user experience and we are delighted at the opportunity to leverage JD’s expertise in China’s online and offline e-commerce market.”

Chopard Launches Official Flagship Store on JD.com

Posted on by Ling Cao

In August 2017, ahead of Chinese Valentine’s Day (Qixi Festival), Chopard launched an exclusive concept store on JD.com, marking its China e-commerce debut. A year into this successful partnership with China’s largest retailer, the Maison has unveiled an official flagship store on JD, giving Chinese consumers easier access to stunning watches and jewelry from Chopard’s iconic collections, including Happy Diamonds, Happy Sport, Ice Cube and Mille Miglia.

Through this exciting collaboration, JD will be able to leverage its capabilities in logistics and marketing to bring more of Chopard’s products to China’s increasingly discerning consumers. All orders placed for Chopard creations through the flagship store are handled by JD Luxury Express, JD’s luxury white glove delivery service, adding a special touch to the purchasing experience. At the same time, Chopard watches and jewelry provide a huge draw for JD consumers, helping JD build even more loyalty to its platform as the go-to option for China’s luxury consumers.

Commenting on the new development, Tasso von Berlepsch, General Manager of Chopard China said: “It has been a pleasure to work with JD over the past year. Through its strong e-commerce platform, JD is an ideal partner for Chopard’s first foray outside of the Maison’s existing distribution channels in China. We are delighted to bring our exclusive creations to JD as we share many of the same values, including a commitment to sustained innovation. We are excited to see where our partnership takes us in the years ahead.”

Belinda Chen, General Manager of JD Watch emphasized the advantages of the partnership, saying: “Chopard’s beautifully crafted products on the brand’s official flagship store gives JD’s style-conscious customers yet another reason to visit our platform. The success of our cooperation with Chopard is a great example of how JD’s network can help the world’s top luxury brands succeed in the Chinese luxury market.”

Chopard is also supporting JD Foundation, JD.com’s charity affiliate. As a family firm passed on from generation to generation, Chopard does not confine itself to selling exceptional watches and jewellery, but also leverages its success and influence for the benefit of philanthropic commitments. The big-hearted Maison has always regarded giving of itself and generosity as being amongst its core values.

“When you’re lucky enough to lead a charmed life, it is only right to help those for whom life is a trial,”  says Caroline Scheufele, Co-President and Artistic Director of Chopard.

In line with this philosophy, Ms. Scheufele has today announced Chopard’s support of the children’s programs run by JD.com’s charity affiliate, JD Foundation, through two special editions of the iconic Happy Sport watch and Happy Hearts bangle specially designed by herself, and featuring JD’s iconic dog mascot, Joy.

Part of the proceeds will go towards JD Foundation’s children’s charity programs, such as the children’s book donation operation. Launched in April this year, the latter gathered over 200,000 children’s books, and delivered them to more than 200 rural schools.

View: https://jdcorporateblog.com/jd-launches-blockchain-open-platform/

JD Launches Blockchain Open Platform

Posted on by Yuchuan Wang

JD.com, China’s largest retailer, is launching a new blockchain technology platform to help enterprise customers build, host and use their own blockchain applications for more secure, transparent and convenient operations management.

The platform, called JD Blockchain Open Platform, is built on multiple underlying technologies, and enables customers to create and adjust smart contracts on public and private enterprise clouds with ease. The technology can help companies streamline operational procedures such as tracking and tracing the movement of goods and charity donations, authenticity certification, property assessment, transaction settlements, digital copyrights, and enhance productivity.

The new platform is the latest expansion of JD’s Retail as a Service (RaaS) strategy, under which the e-commerce giant is opening its advanced technology and infrastructure to other companies and industries. JD Blockchain Open Platform is designed with “one-click deployment” so it is accessible to enterprises even if they don’t have the capabilities to develop their own blockchain solutions.

JD Blockchain Open Platform, a BaaS platform, houses an application store that provides multiple blockchain bottom layers, tools and software that are developed in-house and by Independent Software Vendors (ISV). JD implements stringent quality control over the offerings on the app store, enabling users to safely and conveniently customize their applications to suit their business needs. The company will continuously enrich its application offerings by introducing more ISV and creating a robust ISV community on the platform.

The first JD partner to use JD Blockchain Open Platform is China Pacific Insurance Company (CPIC), which used the platform to deploy a traceable system for e-invoices, or “fapiao,” the official receipts required in China for business. The system strengthens the security governance of e-invoices by applying unique blockchain IDs to each document, increasing efficiency and streamlining the accounting process.

“JD Blockchain Open Platform is a culmination of the expertise and experience in blockchain technology that we initially developed for our own operations, to provide more visibility to consumers,” said Jian Pei, head of big data and smart supply chain at JD.com. “As we continue to open our technology and infrastructure up to other companies, we are pleased to have CIPC as our first blockchain platform customer.”

“JD is an innovator in its field and we are confident its blockchain e-invoice system will create greater efficiency in our operations,” said Yanhong Pan, vice president and CFO of CPIC. “Blockchain technology is transforming the way companies do business, and we are pleased to have found a great partner in JD to guide and help us along the way.”

JD is a pioneer in the utilization of blockchain technology. Last year, the company introduced its blockchain tracing platform that enables customers to track and trace the source and development process of the products and food they purchase. To date, the company has implemented blockchain tracing for more than 400 brands and 11,000 SKUs on JD.com.

Separately, JD will work with software companies and certificate authorities home and abroad to explore the application of blockchain in their businesses, such as enterprise resource planning.

Read: https://jdcorporateblog.com/salvatore-ferragamo-brings-exclusive-catwalk-fashions-to-jd-com/

Salvatore Ferragamo Brings Exclusive Catwalk Fashions to JD.com

Posted on by Ling Cao

Salvatore Ferragamo launches its direct sales flagship store on JD.com platform, making JD one of China’s largest exclusive online channels for selling the brand’s goods. The store features Ferragamo’s integrated product categories, including footwear, leather goods, silk and accessories. In honor of the partnership, the Italian luxury brand has created limited-edition Salvatore Ferragamo Flower Heel flat shoes available exclusively for JD users. JD Salvatore Ferragamo store shoppers will enjoy JD Luxury Express, the company’s white glove delivery service.

Salvatore Ferragamo launches its direct sales flagship store on JD.com platform,

One of the most respected luxury brands in the world, Salvatore Ferragamo is famed for its exquisite Italian craftsmanship and commitment to the highest standards of quality. Founded by shoemaker Salvatore in 1927, the brand has gone on to earn the loyalty of high-end consumers all around the world, who prize the collections of the Ferragamo Maison for their elegant design.

Over the years, the brand has accumulated an array of famous fans, from classic stars like Marilyn Monroe to contemporary celebrities such as Zhang Ziyi and Tang Wei.

As global retail patterns continue to rapidly evolve, the field of e-commerce has become an important new driver for luxury brands. In recent years, JD has attracted a flood of well-known international labels, including Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, Oscar de la Renta and Mulberry. At the same time, JD is leveraging its world class big data, logistics, internet finance and other technical capabilities to continuously improve the customer experience at every step of the shopping process.

Christian Louboutin Partners with JD.com’s TOPLIFE

Posted on by Ella Kidron

Christian Louboutin’s signature red-soles have tiptoed their way onto TOPLIFE.

In early July, JD.com teamed up with Christian Louboutin to set up his first online pop-up store hosted on JD’s luxury e-flagship platform TOPLIFE. The store features the full offering from the brand’s most recent collection. The pop-up marks the brand’s official debut on an e-commerce platform in China.

“JD’s TOPLIFE offers us a very rich and relevant platform to express Christian’s vision & creativity and develop a strong storytelling around his collections” said Alexis Mourot, Christian Louboutin Chief Operating Officer and General Manager.

To facilitate the success of the pop-up, JD is providing a full range of services, including marketing, logistics and customer service support. This includes the company’s signature white glove delivery service, JD Luxury Express, where professionally-dressed couriers drive electric cars to hand-deliver purchases to consumers’ homes, rounding out the online luxury experience with an offline, personal touch.

“No matter where you are, Christian Louboutin’s signature creations are ubiquitous with style, poise and individuality,” said Xia Ding, JD President of International Fashion and Head of TOPLIFE. “We couldn’t be happier to partner with him in bringing his beloved shoes to more people in China and are confident that our customers will take full advantage of the pop-up on TOPLIFE.”

The launch of the Christian Louboutin pop-up plays into JD’s Retail as a Service vision. The company’s state of the art logistics network fully developed in-house as well as its big data analytics capabilities, among other strengths, makes JD ideally positioned to help brands get online quickly and reach China’s eager luxury consumer base. JD has helped many other brands, both in the fashion industry and outside, seamlessly make their China e-commerce debut by leveraging its RaaS capabilities.

Christian Louboutin joins a host of leading brands already working closely with JD’s TOPLIFE. In addition to Fendi, JD has also welcomed Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, Oscar de la Renta and Kiton to TOPLIFE, with more top international luxury brands expected to come online in the near future.

Unilever Chooses JD.com as Chinese Logistics Provider

Posted on by Ling Cao

Consumer goods giant Unilever has chosen JD.com as its logistics provider to expand its reach in China.

The company, which sells consumer products from brands including Lipton, Vaseline, Clear, Lux, OMO and others, will use JD’s network to move goods between warehouses, to be distributed to brick and mortar stores for retail partners beyond JD. Unilever previously worked exclusively with standalone logistics companies for its China distribution.

The partnership marks an expansion of JD’s Retail as a Service (RaaS) push, in which the e-commerce company is offering its technology and infrastructure to other companies and organizations outside of its own e-commerce platforms. JD already provides various combinations of warehousing, transportation and inventory management software to companies including Danone and Oldenburger in China.

Unilever, a long-time partner of JD, presents a massive new opportunity because the company still does the vast majority of its sales through offline channels in China—sales that will now be powered by JD logistics.

“After working closely with JD as a retail partner, it’s clear that its logistics network and technology are unmatched,” said Rohit Jawa, Executive Vice President of Unilever North Asia. “By opening that infrastructure to businesses outside of its own platform, JD will now help us bring our most popular products to the most hard-to-reach communities in China, securely and quickly.”

With over 300 million customers, JD is China’s largest retailer, online or offline. The company is the first large scale e-commerce company in the world to build out and operate a nationwide logistics network. With over 500 warehouses, 7,000 delivery stations, and fleets of drones and autonomous ground vehicles, the company is capable of delivering over 90% of orders same or next day, with reach to 99% of China’s population.

JD is also the creator and earliest adopter of many of the world’s most advanced supply chain technologies, which range from big data and AI for demand planning and transportation management, to automation for more efficient order fulfillment. The company was the first e-commerce company to commercially deploy delivery drones.

“By investing in our own network and in innovations for e-commerce, JD has built one of the world’s most extensive and efficient supply chains,” said Zhenhui Wang, CEO of JD Logistics. “We believe in sharing our capabilities, because everyone, including consumers, will benefit from the transparency, speed and efficiency of modernized global commerce.”

JD’s “LINE FRIENDS DAY” Highlights its Omnichannel Marketing Capabilities

Posted on by Yuchuan Wang

Chinese fans of the wildly popular LINE FRIENDS characters will be flocking to JD.com to get their fill of the popular character-themed merchandise. To celebrate the promotion, the e-commerce giant has also released a new micro movie with its own mascot Joy joining in with the LINE FRIENDS characters.

LINE FRIENDS, a series of animated characters, originated as stickers on the messaging app LINE. The resulting character brand has amassed a global fanbase, especially in China, where consumers can frequently be found sporting LINE FRIENDS-themed merchandise or playing LINE FRIENDS-themed games.

JD has designated August 10 as the inaugural “LINE FRIENDS DAY”. On the day, the JD.com homepage will temporarily be LINE FRIENDS-themed. In addition, discounts will be offered for a range of LINE FRIENDS merchandise, including LINE FRIENDS-branded products from some of JD’s brand partners. JD has also collaborated with LINE FRIENDS to design a series of limited edition travel cups that will exclusively be available for purchase on JD.

An acknowledgement of the widespread popularity of the brand in China, JD is also bringing its LINE FRIENDS celebration offline in Beijing, home of JD.com’s headquarters. In the city’s popular Sanlitun district, fans of the brand will have an opportunity to visit a pop-up store, where they can either make purchases in-store to take home immediately or place orders directly on JD.com, and benefit from JD’s rapid delivery logistics. In addition, hundreds of JD’s red delivery trucks and employee shuttle buses will bear an eye-catching LINE FRIENDS-branded design.

“We are sure that our first annual LINE FRIENDS DAY will be warmly welcomed from fans across JD’s huge user base”, said Jipeng Men, head of marketing at JD.com. “This event demonstrates how we combine our online and offline marketing capabilities to help brands tap into their fanbase and reach more consumers. Coupled with the universal appeal of the LINE FRIENDS characters, we are sure this partnership will be a huge success.”

Special promotions like LINE FRIENDS DAY are another way JD.com is helping brands boost sales to its over 300 million customer base. Last November, JD held a special promotion around the release of the highly anticipated Justice League film’s release in China. The event included a promotion on JD.com and a cameo in a Justice League-themed micro movie by JD’s Joy mascot.

JD Announces AI Accelerator Program to Bring New Intelligent Technology Solutions to Market

Posted on by Yuchuan Wang

JD.com, China’s largest retailer, is launching a global AI Accelerator program to spur the development and greater use of advanced artificial intelligence technologies.

The new accelerator will actively seek out AI startups and early stage companies, offering training and mentoring in research and development, production, management, financing, legal, marketing, and other areas. The company will also offer additional resources including, technical support, guidance and, in some cases, funding.

JD AI Accelerator launches with an initial roster of 16 companies based in China, the UK and the US, that have the potential to transform business processes and drive improvements not only for e-commerce, but for other industries as well. More are expected to join in the months ahead.

JD will provide a wide range of technical support to the companies in the accelerator, including APIs, algorithms and databases, to facilitate technology improvements. Access to JD.com’s rich application scenarios from several facets of its business, such as retail and logistics, will enable startups to considerably grow in scale. Four months into the program, JD AI Accelerator will hold a Demo Day, where it will invite top venture capitalists to help startups access their next rounds of financing. JD.com may also opt to invest in startups whose businesses are highly relevant to JD’s own.

“Technology underpins every aspect of our business,” said Bowen Zhou, Head of JD AI Platform & Research and Vice President of JD.com. “We are always looking for new technologies that can be used to intelligently automate our processes and shape the future of global commerce.”

Among the startup companies initially joining JD’s AI accelerator are Silicon Valley-based Leap.ai, which makes job-matching tools; London-based MediaGamma, which uses machine learning and data science to understand digital user behavior for better marketing; and Beijing-based FaGouGou, which offers AI-based legal consultancy services. Other participants are developing ways to use AI in areas such as retail, finance, medical and education.

“We are excited to have a chance to work with a company like JD, which is putting the world’s most advanced technologies to use in real world scenarios,” said Alex Liu, CEO of FaGouGou. “Having the support of an AI powerhouse like JD is going to make it possible for us to take our innovations to the next level.”

To apply to join JD AI Accelerator, please contact: jdai.investment@jd.com