Walmart and JD.com expanding partnership

Walmart and JD.com have announced that they are expanding their cooperation to further integrate their platforms, supply chains and customer resources in China. The two companies started their partnership a year ago, which enables Chinese shoppers to directly buy goods from Walmart stores on the JD.com platform.

“Since forming our strategic partnership with JD.com in June of last year, we have continued to expand our omni-channel strategy to better serve customers and grow our business in China,” said Ben Hassing, senior vice president of Walmart China eCommerce and Technology. “Our ability to tap into JD.com’s advantages across logistics, big data, technology and customer service gives Walmart a huge advantage in reaching China’s rapidly expanding consumer class. We look forward to further bringing together our strengths in digital and physical retail to take the customer experience in China to the next level.”

As part of the expanded partnership, Walmart and JD.com said they will deploy a jointly developed supply chain and backend system to integrate inventory management.

Walmart and JD.com will launch pilot projects for inventory integration in six cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu and Wuhan.

Starting from this week (20 July), customers have been able to scan a QR code at more than 400 Walmart stores in China to earn coupons for use at the Walmart online stores on JD.com during the 8.8 shopping festival on 8 August.

As part of its ongoing omni-channel push, JD.com recently set up its first JD Home store inside a Walmart store in Shenzhen. JD’s offline store project, JD Home, sells electronic products complementing Walmart’s product categories.

JD is also establishing JD pick-up stations in Walmart stores to provide more pick-up options for JD digital customers.