China’s JD.com pilots retail e-commerce platform Joybuy in London as it takes on Amazon in UK’s $163 billion e-commerce market

Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com has started quietly piloting its self-operated retail ecommerce platform Joybuy in the UK, marking its push into the European market. As of April 9, the company began testing operations in the Greater London area and opened up category onboarding for international and export-oriented brands in segments such as maternity and baby care, as well as toys.

JD.com said on a maternity and baby brands conference on Wednesday, that the company has earned the trust of its customers for its consistent quality assurance and fast delivery since its inception. 

Why it matters: JD.com began its globalization journey early, but has struggled to secure a leading position due to a lack of strategic focus. The move signals JD’s ambitions to capture a slice of the UK’s £127 billion ($163 billion) retail e-commerce market in 2024 – the third-largest globally. Joybuy, which operates under a retail model, could become a new vector for JD to grow outside its saturated domestic market and compete with the likes of Amazon, Temu and AliExpress on a global stage.

Details: The app supports JD.com login credentials and already features a wide range of branded products, from appliances and furniture to snacks, pet supplies, and beauty items from international brands. The rollout includes same-day and next-day delivery, free shipping, and 30-day returns – perks familiar to JD’s domestic users in China. New users are also eligible for discounts of up to 90%.

• The renewed push aligns with JD Logistics’ broader overseas expansion. As of mid-2024, the company operates nearly 100 bonded, direct-mail, and overseas warehouses globally, covering nearly 1 million square meters across key markets including the US, UK, Germany, France, Vietnam, and the UAE.
• Last December, JD Logistics unveiled a 2025 global supply chain strategy, which hinges on three core infrastructure networks – warehousing, express delivery, and air cargo – to better serve global customers and cross-border merchants.
• JD has been ramping up its local presence in Europe. Since mid-2024, the company has been recruiting for roles in the region in bulk and B2B trade, e-commerce distribution, customer services, and platform operations. It’s also doubling down on branding through UEFA sponsorships – expanding from the Champions League to events such as the Super Cup, Futsal Champions League, and Youth League.

Context: 

JD.com first launched Joybuy in 2015 as a cross-border B2C e-commerce platform, originally positioned as a rival to Alibaba’s AliExpress. That same year, the company formed a joint venture with an Indonesian conglomerate – marking the formal kickoff of its international ambitions. 

• However in 2019, JD.com founder Richard Liu reportedly criticized the international division harshly during an internal meeting due to its financial underperformance. 

By late 2021, JD.com officially pulled the plug on Joybuy’s original business model. On November 24, the platform announced it would cease B2C operations in December and transition into a cross-border B2B service.