JD.com, also called the Jingdong Mall, is China’s largest e-commerce retailer. Just as nearly all Americans have shopped on Amazon, JD.com is a household name in China. This Beijing-based company is 47th on the Fortune Global 500 list. The world of direct-to-consumer e-commerce platforms is vast and competitive. What makes JD.com stand apart and rise to the top? These facts about the platform and its history show what makes JD.com powerful through its business dealings and customer usage statistics. From its founding by Liu Quingdong in 1998 to its billions earned in 2025, let’s explore the world of JD.com.
9 JD.com Facts
1. JD.com is a Chinese company, but it has expanded. (Source)
JD Worldwide launched in 2015 and allowed international brands to sell wares to Chinese consumers on its platform.
2. JD had humble origins in a physical location. (Source)
Like its American competitor, Amazon, JD started as a small, specialized storefront. Founder Richard Liu sold hard drives out of a small store in Beijing. The company moved online in 2004 as 360buy.
3. In 2024, JD.com had 334.4 million active users. (Source)
Its network had 650 warehouses capable of same-day or next-day delivery on 90% of its orders. Its workforce consisted of around 570,000 employees.
4. JD.com earned 5.698 billion in revenue in 2025. (Source)
The only e-commerce platforms that surpassed its earnings were Amazon, Alibaba, and PDD Holdings. This makes it one of the world’s most successful e-commerce brands.
5. JD.com stands out as one of the only e-commerce platforms with its own logistics network. (Source)
Its warehouse network even includes “dark warehouses,” which are fully automated and need little human intervention. Its system is clearly reliable, as most orders arrive within 24 hours.
6. JD.com is the world’s second-largest online store. (Source)
It is surpassed only by Amazon in the number of products on offer and in market capitalization.
7. Sellers on JD.com develop their own online “mall.” (Source)
Much like Amazon has storefronts, JD.com has “malls” that sellers customize and optimize to improve the shopper experience. Strong descriptions, visually appealing product pictures, and layout can increase the likelihood of earning loyal customers.
8. Founder Richard Liu has a rags-to-riches success story. (Source)
JD.com’s founder, Richard Liu, had an impoverished childhood in rural China. He was a focused student and had great academic success. He was always savvy with money and saved up to attend university. Known for his hard work, he was sent off by the villagers in his hometown with 76 boiled eggs to keep his belly full as he began university.
9. 5 management layers separate Liu and the frontline workers. (Source)
This is by Liu’s design, called “flat organization.” If JD.com has fewer than two million employees, he insists on only five layers of management. This is very different from competitors who have six or seven management layers with only a few thousand employees.
Featured image photo credit: Pavel Danilyuk
