Chinese online retailer JD.com expects its self-operated logistics network to power it through the coronavirus outbreak, as it forecast double-digit sales growth for the first quarter of the year.
Unlike competitors such as Alibaba and Pinduoduo, which have struggled during the outbreak with a shortage of available couriers at their delivery partners, JD.com’s in-house network — which has roughly 150,000 employees and is unique among major ecommerce platforms in China — has allowed it to quickly resume operations after the extended holiday period.
Executives at Beijing-based JD.com said on Monday that the reliability of its delivery network and supply of products was drawing both old and new customers. “We are waking them up,” said JD Retail head Xu Lei.