Chinese eCommerce company JD.com has launched a British Mall online – a special channel on JD.com’s online shopping platform dedicated to helping Chinese consumers discover and purchase a wide range of authentic, high-quality products from leading UK brands.
The British Mall on JD.com will stock products across across sectors including healthcare, food and beverages, cosmetics and sporting goods. Brands featured include Liverpool FC, SMA and Cow & Gate, among others.
The British Mall on JD.com was launched at a special event in London, where executives from JD.com were joined by representatives from Santander Group, Tencent, and Zitra.
“British Mall will be the shop window in China for the best of British products,” said Tony Qiu, GM of JD.com Worldwide.
“Demand for high-quality, imported goods is soaring in China, and Chinese consumers know that British brands represent quality, style, and reliability. UK brands and retailers have a massive opportunity to tap into this market, and with British Mall, we aim to give them the platform and tools they need to reach millions of Chinese consumers.”
In addition to gaining exposure to JD.com’s large and growing active customer base, brands on British Mall can enjoy a range of supporting services to help them maximise their sales, from customer targeting and marketing, to logistics and delivery, without needing to establish a physical presence in China.
As part of its efforts in the UK, JD.com is partnering with Santander Group, a retail and commercial bank with a presence in Europe and the Americas, to provide support to Santander’s clients who are interested in seizing upon the potential of the Chinese market.
“JD.com’s access to a large and engaged customer base and its firm focus on delivering quality products to Chinese consumers will enable more British brands to quickly build market share in China,” said John Carroll, head of product management and international business at Santander UK.
UK brands already successfully selling online in China via JD.com include retailer Marks & Spencer, footwear brand Clarks, Liverpool FC, and many others. JD.com is also the largest retailer in China for the Scotch whisky brands Chivas, Johnnie Walker, Glenfiddich, and Glenlivet. In 2015, JD.com sold more than a quarter of a million bottles of Scotch whisky – an increase of 85 per cent compared to 2014.
The launch of the British Mall on JD.com follows the successful launch of dedicated country malls for the US, France, Germany, Australia, South Korea and Japan.