By LLB Reporter
China’s largest retailer and the world’s 3rd largest internet company by revenue, JD.com is set to celebrate its growing commitment to the UK by taking part in one of London’s longest-established annual events, the Lord Mayor’s Show. Household British names on JD.com’s platform have been popular with the retailer’s more than 300 million customers over the past year and the Lord Mayor’s show is the first event with broader public appeal that JD.com has participated in in the UK.
British brands have gained more popularity in China in recent years. Several leading British fashion brands have opened flagship stores on JD.com’s luxury offering TOPLIFE, including Alexander McQueen, Mulberry and Pringle of Scotland. The UK fashion industry has been an area of growing focus for JD.com as individualism and quality is increasingly sought after by experimental Chinese shoppers, who also enjoy benefits such as JD Luxury Express, JD’s luxury white glove delivery service. JD.com has also formed partnerships with UK institutions to promote smaller brands, and partnered with the BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund to mentor young designers.
JD.com has been invited to join 60 other organisations to celebrate the Lord Mayor Elect Peter Estlin, who has selected a theme of ‘shaping tomorrow’s cities today’ and recognized JD.com as a global pioneer in the transformation of the retail experience.
Participation in the show is by invitation only and JD.com’s float will showcase its commitment to technology innovation. JD.com has been investing in new technologies and innovations that will enable the company to set the global standard for what an e-commerce experience should look like. The float will display models of JD.com’s delivery drones and automated guided vehicles, amongst other innovations.
JD.com’s Singles Day shopping festival kicked off on Nov 1 and lasts for 11 days, during which Chinese consumers can buy high-quality products at competitive prices from a range of channels, from JD.com’s app and Tencent’s popular social media platform WeChat to offline stores owned by JD.com or JD.com’s partners. This is part of JD.com’s larger Boundaryless Retail strategy, which enables consumers to buy whatever they want, whenever and wherever they want it. Moreover, relying on JD.com’s strong technology and supply chain management capabilities along with its nationwide logistics network, consumers can enjoy JD.com’s extremely fast, standard same-day or next-day delivery service as usual.
