JD.com $JD launches Joybuy in the UK, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg as a new online platform that will directly compete with Amazon $AMZN – it will offer electronics, appliances, cosmetics, home products and groceries, plus its own logistics JoyExpress with same-day or next-day delivery in major cities. A network of roughly 60 warehouses and depots at launch, free delivery over €29/£29 and a "JoyPlus" subscription for 3.99 euros/pounds per month show that JD is going after the core value of Amazon Prime: fast delivery, low prices and well-known brands like L’Oréal or Braun.

At the same time JD is building an offline presence in Europe – the acquisition of Ceconomy (MediaMarkt, Saturn) for €2.2 billion opens up more than 1,000 brick-and-mortar stores across several European countries, which it can logistically connect with Joybuy and use as warehouses, pickup points and service centers. The whole move thus fits into a long-term strategy: China is saturated, e‑commerce competition is fierce, so JD is seeking further growth in Europe, where it wants to combine local warehouses and physical retail chains to offer the speed and service customers are used to from JD’s home market.