JD.com to attract British brands in wake of Brexit

JD.com, China's e-tailer giant, is hoping to attract fashion labels abroad, particularly British brands in the wake of Brexit.

During London Fashion Week last month, the company staged its third international runway show following similar presentations at New York and Milan’s fashion weeks. Featuring collections by Chinese designers, items on the show’s runway were shoppable in a see now, buy now capacity on JD.com.

JD.com, also known as Jingdong Mall is the largest B2C online retailer in China by transaction volume and revenue, and a major competitor to Alibaba-run Tmall.

JD.com's strategy to showcase its Chinese designer fashion to world is not a one dimensional marketing exercise. By showing on the international catwalk platforms in London, Milan and New York, JD.com gains notoriety for its efforts to encourage partnerships with foreign clothing brands, as these have been more difficult to secure.

Lijun Xin, the president of JD.com’s apparel and home furnishing business unit, emphasized the word “premium” to describe the shopping experience on JD.com, adding, “As recently as a few years ago Chinese shoppers were less discerning about fashion, but today if you want to be serious about selling fashion in China, you better be at ahead of the curve—and that’s what we’re doing.”

JD.com launched a special channel featuring UK brands

JD.com in June launched its cross-border “British Mall”, a special channel on its online shopping platform dedicated to helping Chinese consumers discover and purchase a wide range of authentic, high-quality products from leading UK brands. The company has previously stated that Britain leaving the European Union could lower prices for British goods and make them more competitive in the China market.

Fashion is a key focus as the company courts foreign brands for its cross-border JD Worldwide platform launched in April 2015. Its 2015 Milan Fashion Week presentation coincided with the launch of its “Italian Fashion Mall,” while its New York Fashion Week show in February 2016 did the same with its new “U.S. Fashion Mall,” which sells brands including Calvin Klein, GUESS, and Under Armour.

While it’s been easier for JD.com to net foreign cosmetics and accessories brands such as Sephora and Luxottica, high-end luxury fashion labels are generally reluctant to adopt e-commerce or join platforms viewed as mass-market, noted Jing Daily. Both JD.com and competitor Tmall have been upping their efforts to attract foreign fashion brands in particular. UK brands already successfully selling online in China via JD.com include retailer Marks & Spencer and footwear brand Clarks.

Photo credit:JD.com British Mall launch