Google has invested $550 million (€476 million) in Alibaba competitor JD.com. The Chinese web shop can now sell its products outside China via Google Shopping.
Strategic cooperation
In an explanation, Google states that it has taken a stake in JD.com. Unknown is the size of Google's stake in the company. The two parties are entering into a "strategic partnership".
Unlike marketplace Alibaba, JD.com - in addition to third-party products - also sells its own products. The Chinese retail giant employs 65,000 people and claims to serve 236 million customers.
JD Logistics
JD.com has also acted as a fulfilment player since last year. With its JD logistics branch, it handles the fulfilment of its own orders and those of external sellers. Companies can outsource storage, transport, delivery and returns processing to JD Logistics.
This logistics arm gives the Chinese retail giant insight into its competitors' data, and with the data resulting from JD Logistics, the company aims to "redefine the potential of e-commerce logistics".
