Luxury fashion firm Balenciaga's flagship store makes its debut on Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com

Balenciaga today unveils its official flagship store on JD.com. This launch also marks the Chinese retailer as the exclusive online platform for the debut of Balenciaga’s new Stapler Sneaker.

And it follows other Kering brands, such as Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Saint Laurent, and Qeelin in going live on JD.com.

The flagship store will showcase an extensive collection, including the Fall/Winter 2024 lineup, featuring ready-to-wear garments, footwear, bags, small leather goods, and accessories.

On opening day, Balenciaga and JD will offer customers the opportunity to purchase luxury items with up to 24 months of interest-free instalments.

Additionally, Balenciaga will participate in JD.com’s major promotional campaigns, including the 24 Fall and Single’s Day events.

Alibaba Group

Last month, Alibaba Group missed expectations for the June quarter of 2024 as it grappled with rising competition from the likes of JD.com and Temu owner PDD and a cautious Chinese consumer.

It was a blow to CEO Eddie Wu who, since taking the reins, has been trying to get Alibaba’s core China e-commerce business back on a stable footing.

Over the three months ended 30th June 2024, its quarterly revenue rose 4% year-over-year to RMB243.24 billion ($33.47 billion).

“In this quarter, we continue to execute our plan to invest for growth in our core businesses, while reducing losses in other business units through improvement in operating efficiency,” said Alibaba Group CFO Toby Xu.

JD.com, on the other hand, saw its quarterly revenue grow 1.2% to 291.4 billion yuan, or $40.7 billion. That was ahead of estimates of 291 billion yuan, according to FactSet.

2024 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Online retail is a key focus area for the sixth edition of the RTIH Innovation Awards, which is now open for entries.

The awards, sponsored by CADS, 3D Cloud, Retail Technology Show 2025, and Business France, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

It’s free to enter and you can do so across multiple categories.

Key 2024 dates

Friday, 25th October: Award entry deadline 

Tuesday, 29th October: 2024 shortlist revealed

30th October-6th November: Judging days

Thursday, 21st November: Winners announced at the 2024 RTIH Innovation Awards ceremony, to be held at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London.