Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com Inc. said Feb. 7 that it opened an office in Melbourne to serve as regional headquarters for Australia and New Zealand.
The new office will focus on providing brands and retailers in both countries with access to JD's base of Chinese consumers, with operations including business development officers to guide local small and medium-sized enterprises.
JD CEO Richard Liu said in a statement: "Our customers are demanding more and more high-quality products from Australia and New Zealand, and this move is a major step toward meeting that demand."
The company said it chose to locate the office in the Australian state of Victoria because it has the country's only 24-hour shipping port, and it also offers access to a range of local suppliers.
This comes shortly after JD opened an office in Paris to recruit French brands, amid plans for overseas expansion that include Europe and the U.S.
