Unilever launches Chinese e-commerce site

As more brands evolve to a direct-to-consumer model, Unilever is expanding its direct selling to China by launching a flagship store on JD.com.

The Unilever flagship store on JD Worldwide, which is JD.com's cross-border e-commerce platform, will feature products from a range of Unilever’s most popular global brands such as Ponds, Dove and Vaseline. Notably, the flagship store will make available three product lines from Lux's shampoo range, which are currently the best-selling shampoo products in the Japanese market.

Unilever joins a growing list of leading brands that have launched flagships with JD.com in 2015, including UNIQLO, Sephora and Luxottica.

"JD.com is a long-time partner and our fastest growing e-commerce sales channel in China, so we're excited that this partnership with JD Worldwide will extend our offering to include many of the best-known products in our global portfolio," said Andy Li, director of Unilever's China e-commerce business. "Unilever has more than 400 brands globally, many of which are not yet available in the Chinese market. By partnering with JD Worldwide, we can quickly and efficiently address growing demand from Chinese consumers for many of our most successful products in the US, European and Asian markets."

The Unilever flagship store will feature products from a range of Unilever's most popular global brands, some of which will be made available to Chinese consumers for the first time.

"This partnership with Unilever brings some of the most respected brands in health and beauty to our platform," said JD VP Leo Li, who heads JD Worldwide. "We aim to make it easier for global brands like Unilever to connect with Chinese consumers through our complete cross-border service that takes care of everything from customs to marketing. Our partnership with Unilever, which produces hundreds of the most trusted consumer brands in the world, further expands the variety of imported products Chinese consumers can quickly and conveniently buy from JD.com. This partnership illustrates how we are working with leading international brands to meet growing consumer demand in China for imported products."

The Unilever flagship store launch coincides with JD.com's major anniversary sale, with products from some of Unilever's best-known health and beauty brands now available on JD Worldwide. Brands featured include Ponds, Dove, Vaseline and Lux. The offering includes three product lines from Lux's shampoo range that are currently the best-selling shampoo products in the Japanese market, which are now available for the first time in the Chinese market through JD Worldwide.

In the coming months, the range of products featured will be extended to include some of Unilever's premium personal care, home hygiene and food brands. Joining JD Worldwide expands Unilever's partnership with JD.com, which previously focused on JD.com's direct sales e-tail business.

Unilever has sold products through JD.com's e-commerce platform since 2013.

As of March 31, JD.com operated 7 fulfillment centers and a total of 143 warehouses in 43 cities, and in total 3,539 delivery stations and pickup stations in 1,961 counties and districts across China, staffed by its own employees. The Company provides standard same-day delivery in more than 130 counties and districts, and standard next-day delivery in more than another 850 counties and districts across China.