Chinese ecommerce giant JD.com is launching a new online retail platform in the UK as it ramps up competition with major players, including Amazon.

The company will debut its UK marketplace, Joybuy, offering a broad range of products including technology, home appliances, groceries, beauty and everyday essentials.

JD.com said the platform will offer next-day delivery to around 17 million households across the UK, supported by new logistics operations and distribution centres in Milton Keynes and Luton.

The launch marks JD.com’s first major push into the UK retail market after previously exploring acquisition opportunities in the sector. In 2024 the company abandoned plans for a potential takeover of Currys, while talks to acquire Argos from Sainsbury’s were also dropped last year.

Instead, JD.com has opted to build its own presence in the market.

The £30bn retailer, China’s largest by revenue, said its logistics infrastructure will allow it to deliver fast fulfilment while maintaining competitive pricing across multiple product categories.

Matthew Nobbs, managing director of Joybuy UK, said the company was confident about its long-term prospects in the market.

“We are here for a long time, as our CEO has said,” he said.

“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.”

The UK launch forms part of a wider European expansion for JD.com, which is entering six new markets including Germany, the Netherlands, France, Belgium and Luxembourg.

The company has also been strengthening its presence in the region through acquisitions, including a €2.2bn (£1.9bn) deal last year to purchase Germany-based electronics retail group Ceconomy.

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