China's largest retailer by revenue, JD.com, has begun testing a new UK e-commerce grocery site called Joybuy, available to consumers in select London postcodes with plans for wider expansion.

The website offers extensive ranges of ambient and frozen foods, household products, baby items, beverages, personal care, beauty, health, pet supplies, and nicotine products from major brands. Hundreds of Morrisons own-label goods are also available across several categories.

A JD.com spokeswoman told The Grocer that Joybuy was "currently in a testing phase of its self-operated online retail business model" with plans "for an official launch of the Joybuy platform by the end of 2025."

The Joybuy website states it offers same-day and next-day delivery across the UK, promising a service that "combines speed, reliability, and affordability to meet the needs of modern shoppers."

JD.com has been actively building an experienced team of UK grocery buyers and category managers, with Matthew Nobbs, former commercial director for Gorillas and senior buying director for Lidl UK, appointed as chief merchandise officer in February. The company is currently advertising for more than 40 London-based roles.

Nobbs recently stated on LinkedIn that he was "getting ready to rumble in the UK for one of China's biggest success stories."

Unlike other Chinese e-commerce companies such as Temu and Alibaba that operate with a marketplace model, JD.com functions as a retailer, holding stock in its own warehouses. The company has already established warehouses across Europe in the Netherlands, Poland and France, with additional "active assets" in the UK, Germany, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Indonesia.

In January, Jingdong Retail (UK), a JD.com subsidiary, began leasing a 278,000 sq ft former UPS warehouse in Dunstable. Its property arm also operates warehouses in Milton Keynes, Coventry and Preston.

With global annual turnover exceeding $157 billion last year, JD.com ranks as the 47th largest company worldwide by revenue according to the Fortune 500 Global List, ahead of companies like Kroger, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Nestlé, Meta and Target.

"JD.com's operations in Europe are built on the same principles that define our success in China: delivering high-quality products at great prices, backed by fast and reliable delivery," a company spokeswoman told The Grocer.

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