In 2023, JD.com showed interest in acquiring Ceconomy Agthe parent company of Mediamarkt and Saturnalthough the negotiations did not specify. Now, in 2025, The Chinese e -commerce giant has officially closed the acquisition of Ceconomy for 2.5 billion dollarsmarking its direct entry to the European market.
JD.com bought 57.1% of Ceconomy at 4.60 euros per share, 23% above the previous price, While the Kellerhals family, previous majority shareholder, retains 25.35% as a strategic partner.
This operation not only consolidates the presence of JD.com in Europe, but will allow Cdirectly omperate with Amazon and other large retailers from the regionrelying on the advanced logistics technology of the Chinese marketplace.
But,What is exactly JD.com And how has it become one of the world's greatest marketplaces? In this article we analyze its history, characteristics, business and competition model.
History of JD.com: from physical store to the leader of the Ecommerce
JD.com was founded in 1998 by Richard Liu as a physical store in Beijing specialized in Magneto-Postic products. However, in 2003, the Sars epidemic affected sales and led the company to migrate to Electronic commerce. In 2004, he launched his online store, starting a vertiginous growth that made it one of the main B2C platforms in China.
Today, JD.com is the second largest Marketplace in Chinajust behind Alibabaand it is distinguished by operating with a hybrid business model that combines direct sale with a marketplace for third parties.
How JD.com works
JD.com offers one wide variety of productsfrom electronics and fashion to supermarket products and luxury items. Its main categories include electronics and technology (mobile, laptops, appliances and gadgets), Fashion and accessories: (clothing, footwear and accessories), health and beauty (Cosmetics, supplements and personal care), SUpermarket (food, drinks and cleaning products) and cars and spare parts (From tires to vehicle accessories).
In addition, JD.com has positioned itself in the sector of the luxury With JD Luxury Express, an exclusive delivery service for Premium products.
JD.com main page
The Marketplace directly manages a large part of your inventory. Instead of depending on external vendors, stores and distributes the products, which allows you to guarantee authenticity and speed In deliveries. For third -party orders, JD.com operates a model in which sellers can list products on the platform, but unlike Alibaba or Amazon, maintains a strictest control over quality and logistics. It also offers Logistic services to other companies.
JD.com has a network of smart warehouses and distribution centers In China and other regions, delivering on the same day or the next day in most Chinese cities. To improve efficiency in rural and urban areas use Drones and autonomous robots. It does not have a mandatory minimal purchase, but offers discounts on shipments for orders greater than certain amounts.
JD Worldwide
JD Worldwide is the JD.com cross -border electronic commerce platform, designed to allow international brands and retailers to sell products directly to Chinese consumers without the need for a physical presence in the country.
Includes Adapted payment methods To each market: credit cards, paypal, digital wallets, etc. Products can be sent to different parts of the world, although delivery times and costs vary according to the location of the seller. In addition, the company undertakes to offer genuine products, something that differentiates it from other marketplaces where falsification can be a problem.
Offers Three sales models:
Marketplace: The brands operate their own stores within the platform.
Wholesale Sale (B2B2C): JD Worldwide buys products directly from suppliers and sells them to consumers.
Warehouse managed by JD: Allows sellers to store products in JD stores in other countries before being sent to China.
JD.com business and competition
JD.com has maintained solid growth in recent years. According to the latest reports, your Annual income exceeded 150,000 million dollars in 2023. Company CEnta with more than 580 million active users In China, and operates in international markets such as Thailand, Indonesia and Europewith expansion plans in Latin America. In addition, it has more than 1,300 stores worldwide.
Its growth has been driven by its approach to the artificial intelligence, automation and efficient logistics.
At the local level, its main competitors are Alibaba (who owns Tmall and Taobao) and Pinduoduo. Its strongest competitor outside China, especially in markets in America and Europe, is Amazon. While Tiktok Shop It is a growing threat in social trade, especially in Southeast Asia.
The advantage of JD.com in front of these competitors is their focus on Own quality and logistics controlwhich generates more confidence among consumers.
JD.com and MEDIAMARKT: A strategic purchase
With this acquisition, JD.com gets more than 1,000 physical stores in 11 European countrieswith 50,000 employees and 22.4 billion euros in billing in 2024, of which 5,100 million came from online sales.
The company promises contribute its latest generation logistics technology To offer:
Deliveries in 24 hours in cities. You deliver the same day in large cities. Integration of predictive algorithms to reposition inventory automatically.
This movement marks the time when JD.com is no longer a Chinese giant To become a key actor of European retail trade, combining the confidence of a local brand such as Mediamarkt with its advanced distribution technology.
Photo: JD.com
