JD.com has returned to Europe, this time it's really a big deal

Friends who are following Tuke in e-commerce may have noticed that JD.com has been very active in Europe recently.In March 2026, JD.com launched a brand new online retail brand Joybuy in Europe, positioning itself as a localized self-operated e-commerce platform.

Joybuy reached the number one spot in shopping app downloads in the Apple and Android app stores in six European countries just two days after its launch. At the same time, its overall rating on the well-known consumer review site Trustpilot also reached 4.7 points.

This is not the first time JD.com has entered Europe, but this time the approach is completely different from the previous two attempts.

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JD.com's Ten Years of Exploration in Europe

In fact, JD.com started its overseas layout quite early.In 2015, it launched the cross-border B2C platform Joybuy, but due to acclimatization issues, it did not continue to develop. In 2022, JD.com incubated Ochama in Europe, focusing on community retail, and after several years of exploration, the operation strategy was also adjusted.

After several rounds of trial and error, JD.com's internationalization strategy underwent a fundamental change. In an internal communication before 618 last year, Liu Qiangdong made it clear that "JD.com will not follow the cross-border e-commerce model", and the internationalization strategy should be "local e-commerce, local team building, and only selling branded goods".

In other words: not doing cross-border direct mail, but doing what e-commerce should do locally—building warehouses, organizing delivery fleets, hiring local employees, and selling branded goods.

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From Brand Recruitment to Logistics Infrastructure, the Effort is Significant

Following this strategy,Joybuy recently officially launched a new round of brand seller recruitment.

There are a few things worth noting. First, the recruitment standards are relatively high this time, clearly not following the low-price mass listing and clearance sale route, focusing on countries with strong purchasing power such as the UK, Germany, France, and the Netherlands.

The recruitment targets include local European brands and Chinese Tuke brands, supporting brand self-operated stores. In the early stage, the platform'sSKU exceeded 100,000, covering both overseas local brands and high-quality Tuke brands.

Second is the accumulation of logistics capabilities. In fact, beforeJoybuy officially launched, JD.com had quietly set up more than 60 self-operated warehouses and sorting centers in Europe. At the end of last year, JD Logistics put its first overseas Wolf Smart Warehouse into operation in the UK, covering more than 3,000 square meters and deploying nearly 200 Wolf robots, with outbound efficiency reportedly increased by about 4 times.

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JD.com has also launched its own express brand in Europe,JoyExpress, with its own delivery fleet, so that the entire chain from warehouse, transportation, to delivery is operated and controlled by itself.

Relying on this system,Joybuy has implemented "211 delivery" service in more than 30 core cities in Europe—orders placed before 11 a.m. are delivered the same day, orders placed before 11 p.m. are delivered by 3 p.m. the next day, covering more than 40 million consumers.

In an interview in April, a Chinese living in Germany mentioned that he placed an order on Joybuy after 9 p.m. on Sunday and received the express delivery after 9 a.m. on Monday. "The courier even called in advance to confirm if I was at home, which is indeed rare among European courier companies."

In addition, last year JD.com acquired about 85% of the shares of German retail giant CECONOMY for 2.2 billion euros, gaining more than 1,000 physical stores operating in 12 European countries, realizing an online and offline closed-loop ecosystem of "online ordering, in-store pickup, and ultra-fast delivery from nearby front warehouses".

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This Battle Has Just Begun

Of course, the competitive landscape of the European e-commerce market is clear. According toStatista's forecast, the European e-commerce market revenue will approach $700 billion by 2026, but Amazon has been deeply cultivating this market for many years and is said to have launched "1-hour" and "3-hour" delivery services in several European cities. AliExpress and TikTok Shop are also continuing to increase their investment in the European market.

Fromits initial entry in 2015 to its new start today, JD.com has spent ten years exploring, making mistakes, and accumulating experience. Liu Qiangdong once said, "JD.com's business model is slow, tough, and exhausting." But this system, from brand recruitment to logistics infrastructure to offline stores, has indeed been established. Next, it depends on whether European consumers will buy in, and whether this heavy investment layout can ultimately find a sustainable path.