Hong Kong will welcome another Mainland Chinese e-commerce giant to its retail landscape when JD.com opens its first physical store in the city. According to reports, the SAR’s first JD Mall will be an experience centre that will stock home appliances. However, there is no word yet on where in Hong Kong the shopping hub will be and when it will open its doors to the public.
What is JD.com?
JD.com, which was founded in 1998 as Jingdong, is Mainland China’s largest retailer by revenue. The Beijing-based E-commer operator started out as an online magneto-optical store, and later expanded its offerings to include electronics, mobile phones, and computers, among other tech essentials. The company changed its name to JD.com in 2013, and opened the first JD Mall in Xi’an in 2021 — a sprawling 42,000 square metre space that sells everything from home appliances and digital accessories to furniture and children’s products.
According to media reports, the e-commerce powerhouse began hiring talent from Hong Kong’s electronics retail industry in 2024 as it prepared for its new venture in the territory. Reports also indicate that JD Property, a subsidiary of JD, acquired the Li Fung Centre in Sha Tin last year and that related firms had established a presence in Jardine House in Central.
Other Mainland E-commerce Offerings in Hong Kong
While JD.com has a Hong Kong-specific website that can be translated into English, the app is only available in Chinese. However, its rival Taobao launched an English-language interface for Hong Kong earlier this year on which users can view product descriptions, special offers, and local currency conversions in English. Additionally, Taobao recently opened its first experience centre in Hong Kong, in collaboration with local home improvement company Papabo. The store combines physical and digital retail by allowing customers to check out a curated selection of Taobao furniture and lifestyle homeware products in person before they place orders online.
Image credits: Daniel Cukier via Flickr
