On February 19th, according to relevant media reports, JD.com is considering acquiring British electronics retailer Curries PIc. Recently, JD and Curries had informal exploratory talks, but specific details have not been disclosed yet.
It is understood that Curries is a retailer listed in London, operating online and with 823 stores in 8 countries. According to the official website, in October 2021, multiple traditional British brands merged into Curries. Currently, Curries has three core brands in eight European countries.
Domestic e-commerce giants are looking for new growth overseas, and JD.com began to increase its focus on the European market last year. In October last year, Ochama, a European omnichannel retail business under JD.com that had been established for over a year, announced the addition of delivery to home services in 19 new countries. At present, relying on automated central warehouses and supply chain capabilities, Ochama has replicated the omnichannel shopping model overseas, and has achieved delivery to home services in 24 European countries.
Going global in the supply chain is a major advantage for JD.com. It is understood that JD Logistics has nearly 90 bonded warehouses, overseas warehouses, and direct mail warehouses worldwide, with sea, land, and air transportation routes covering the world. The person in charge of JD Logistics International Logistics Europe previously mentioned in a media interview that JD Logistics focuses on warehouses in its overseas supply chain layout and extends it to overall supply chain delivery. In the European market, JD Logistics serves Chinese overseas enterprises and local European enterprises. "Our core goal now is to cover distribution centers and integrated warehousing and distribution services primarily in Europe."
What impact will JD's accelerated expansion into the European market and acquisition of Curries have on its overseas expansion? Renowned cross-border e-commerce expert Zhang Zhouping told Nandu reporters that investment, mergers and acquisitions are important ways to expand business overseas. For JD, Curries can make up for the shortcomings of JD's offline market. In addition, 3C is JD's advantageous category and has rich experience and advantages in the operation of 3C electronic products. Curries can effectively supplement JD's categories in European and overseas markets, enriching its advantageous categories.