Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com is launching its Joybuy platform in the UK, directly challenging Amazon and other major retailers. The £30 billion firm aims to attract bargain-hunting British shoppers with a wide range of products and next-day delivery.
The launch follows JD.com's withdrawal from two separate deals to acquire major UK retail brands over the past two years. In 2024, it abandoned plans to buy Currys, and last September, it walked away from talks over a potential takeover of Argos from Sainsbury’s. Instead of acquiring existing brands, the group now intends to compete directly.
Joybuy will offer products across technology, appliances, beauty, home, groceries, and other essentials. The company said it will provide next-day delivery to about 17 million UK households from launch, using distribution sites in Milton Keynes and Luton.
Matthew Nobbs, managing director of Joybuy UK, expressed confidence in the company's growth prospects. “We are here for a long time, as our CEO has said,” he stated. “We have spent a lot of time working and honing to get our web and app proposition right, making it work in beta testing over time. We have to make sure the customer experience is really great.”
JD.com is simultaneously launching in six other European markets, including Germany, the Netherlands, France, Belgium, and Luxembourg. The group also struck a €2.2 billion (£1.9 billion) deal to acquire Germany-based electronics retail group Ceconomy last year.
