Skip to content
E-Tailing

JD.com first-quarter revenue exceeds expectation

By Minjun ParkChina
1 min read
Beauty e tailer JD.com plows ahead with strengthening its Asia reach
Beauty e tailer JD.com plows ahead with strengthening its Asia reach
In this article (4)

China’s JD.com’s first-quarter revenue beat Wall Street estimates as growth remained robust in the domestic e-commerce sector following the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Beijing-based company has joined rivals Pinduoduo and Alibaba Group in racking up double-digit sales growth during the pandemic, as people flocked to e-commerce websites to shop for everything from groceries to luxury goods.

Net revenue at JD.com, China’s largest e-commerce company by revenue, rose 39 percent to US$31.57 billion in the quarter ended March 31, topping analysts average estimate of $29.8 billion, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

Sales in its product segment, which includes online retail sales, rose nearly 35 percent to $27.2 billion in the quarter.

Popular brands like Starbucks and sports-retailer Decathlon, along with luxury fashion brands such as Marni and John Lobb, launched flagship stores in the quarter on JD.com’s e-commerce platform, which, along with those of rivals, has seen strong demand during and after the pandemic.

JD.com’s earnings beat comes on the heels of a major regulatory crackdown on Alibaba Group.

In April, Chinese anti-monopoly authorities fined the e-commerce giant a record $2.75 billion for engaging in a practice known as “choose one from two,” wherein platforms penalize merchants for listing products on multiple sites.

Despite how that penalty targeted a rival, the uncertain regulatory environment has dampened investor sentiment across China’s internet sector.

US-listed shares of JD have dropped about 13 percent since news of the fine on Alibaba was announced.

Concurrent with the fine on Alibaba, JD withdrew its initial public offering application for its fintech subsidiary JD Digits from the Shanghai Stock exchange.

However, the company’s logistics division is set to raise up to $3.4 billion in an upcoming Hong Kong IPO.

Questions & Answers

Q.

How much did JD.com's net revenue increase in the first quarter, and what was the total amount?

A.

Net revenue at JD.com rose 39 percent in the quarter ended March 31. This brought the total to US$31.57 billion, exceeding analysts' average estimate of $29.8 billion.

Q.

What impact did the regulatory crackdown on Alibaba Group have on JD.com?

A.

The uncertain regulatory environment, stemming from the fine on Alibaba, has dampened investor sentiment across China’s internet sector. US-listed shares of JD have dropped about 13 percent since the news.

Q.

Did JD.com proceed with its subsidiary's initial public offering plans during this period?

A.

JD.com withdrew its initial public offering application for its fintech subsidiary JD Digits from the Shanghai Stock Exchange. However, its logistics division is set to raise up to $3.4 billion in a Hong Kong IPO.

Background from the Retail Academy

Background guides from the Retail Academy, free to read.

  • E-commerce

    Omnichannel fulfilment

    Ship-from-store, click and collect, marketplace fulfilment and live commerce, what each model demands from inventory accuracy, staffing and systems, and wher…

    Retail Operations · 11 min read

  • E-commerce

    E-commerce in Brunei

    Which platforms matter in Brunei, how buyers pay, why cash on delivery still shapes the economics, and what a delivered order really costs.

    Asia Market Guides · 9 min read

  • General

    AI in retail

    A practical map of where AI already pays off in retail, from demand forecasting and pricing to search, customer service and store operations, and where the h…

    Retail Operations · 11 min read

  • General

    Loyalty and membership design

    Points, tiers or paid membership: which mechanic fits which business, what a loyalty programme actually costs, and how to measure incremental effect instead…

    Retail Leadership · 11 min read

Weekly Briefing

Asia's retail intelligence, in your inbox

Monday, Wednesday and a Friday Weekly Wrap: the retail stories, numbers and moves that mattered across Asia. Nothing else, and you can unsubscribe in one click.

  • Top industry moves and market shifts
  • Weekly data-driven analysis from across Asia
  • Monday, Wednesday and the Friday Weekly Wrap

Read by retail operators, investors and brand teams across Asia.

Protected by a quick human check. No spam, ever. Unsubscribe in one click.

SecureGDPR ready