JD.com e-commerce joint venture launches officially in Thailand

The JD Thai JV with Central Group has been formally launched this week under the brand JD Central.

“Our partnership with Central Group – a one-of-a-kind union between China’s biggest retailer and Thailand’s strongest retail player – will provide Thai customers with a truly world-class e-commerce experience and guarantee 100 per cent product authenticity,” said Vincent Yang, CEO at JD Central.

The new online platform officially debuts today, September 28, and will further extend JD’s footprint in the Southeast Asia region, which already includes an established e-commerce platform in Indonesia and a strategic investment in Tiki, Vietnam’s leading B2C e-commerce business.

Central Group, Thailand’s largest retail conglomerate, offers JD instant critical mass through customer loyalty program and brand recognition, as well as merchandise. The site has been in testing mode since June 18, offering both direct sales and marketplace models. Pre-launch sales were described as having “exceeded expectations”.

The JD Thai JV site includes categories for electronics, digital products, fashion, home appliances, books and music through to groceries, cosmetics, toiletries, beverages and processed foods.

During the pre-launch phase, about 80 per cent of shopper accessed the site via phones, with FMCG products, mobile phones and fashion the most popular items purchased. Products from Chinese companies have proved especially popular, with leading brands including Xiaomi, Huawei, OnePlus and Lenovo.

Yang said the JD Thai JV will “transform the local market and unlock the boundless consumer potential of the nation’s large population, with the ultimate goal of becoming the most trusted brand in Thailand”.