Spain’s FIFA World Cup victory has ignited celebrations around the world—and inspired Chinese consumers to bring a taste of Spain into their homes.
As fans celebrated Spain’s first World Cup title in 16 years, JD.com quickly turned the excitement into new opportunities for Spanish brands. Leveraging the strengths of JD Super, JD.com’s online supermarket, and JINGDONG Cross-Border, the company’s cross-border import business, JD.com connected authentic Spanish products with millions of consumers across China through its nationwide retail and supply chain network.

As Spain advanced from the Round of 16 to then lifting the World Cup, Chinese consumers’ enthusiasm for Spanish beers continued to build on JD Super. During this period, sales of Estrella Galicia 1906 Reserva Especial more than doubled compared with the previous stage, while Mahou’s Session IPA, an official LaLiga partner, saw sales increase by 85%. Premium Estrella Damm craft beer gift sets also recorded nearly 70% growth, highlighting Chinese consumers’ growing enthusiasm for authentic imported brands during major global sporting events.

Beyond beer, JINGDONG Cross-Border brought Spain’s culinary culture even closer to Chinese shoppers. Last week, the team partnered with popular content creators The Breeze Brothers to host four livestream sourcing sessions directly from Spain, including a behind-the-scenes broadcast from an Atlantic bluefin tuna fishing operation in partnership with Balfegó—a global pioneer in certified, responsible fishing and sustainable marine management. Through JD.com’s cross-border e-commerce fast-track model, more than 200 premium Spanish products—including Atlantic bluefin tuna, Bowo tuna, Baymar seafood, iHam Iberian ham, Codorníu Cava, Nomad Coffee and Pancracio chocolate—were introduced to the Chinese market, with many making their China debut. The livestreams attracted more than 500,000 cumulative views, while seafood and beverage products featured during the campaign generated over 6,300 orders on JINGDONG Cross-Border, demonstrating the growing appeal of authentic Spanish products among Chinese shoppers.

The World Cup also highlighted a broader shift in demand for imported products. During the tournament, searches for imported beer on JD Super increased by more than 30% year over year, while sales rose by over 60%. Meanwhile, JINGDONG Cross-Border’s dedicated Spanish fresh food sourcing page attracted nearly 270,000 unique visitors, demonstrating Chinese consumers’ growing appetite for premium products from around the world.
For international brands, these moments represent more than short-term demand, they create opportunities to build lasting connections with Chinese consumers. Backed by JD.com’s nationwide fast fulfillment network, digital merchandising expertise, livestream commerce ecosystem and trusted retail platform, JD.com helps international brands respond quickly to market trends while building long-term growth in China.
These efforts are further supported by JD.com’s “10 Billion GigaGrowth Plan”, an initiative designed to accelerate the introduction of premium international products through dedicated global buyers, localized marketing, omnichannel retail capabilities, and end-to-end supply chain support.
From celebrating global sporting moments to discovering authentic local specialties, JD.com continues to bring the world’s best products closer to Chinese consumers—while helping international brands unlock new opportunities in one of the world’s most dynamic consumer markets.
(vivian.yang@jd.com)