JD.com Inc. on March 14 said it is expanding its automotive aftermarket business by leveraging its e-commerce capabilities, as China's automotive aftermarket's annual sales are projected to reach 100 billion Chinese yuan by 2020.
JD said it has partnerships with over 30,000 authorized offline stores, including Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., with which the company announced a tie-up in 2017. JD also has a strategic partnership with Shell Oil and Continental Tires.
The company's most recent tie-up was in March with Germany-based battery maker Varta AG. The two firms launched a service in which customers can buy Varta car batteries on JD's website and have them delivered to be installed in 30 minutes.
Due to its strong omnichannel network, JD can recommend the nearest offline stores for installation and repairs to its customers, the statement added.
As of March 13, US$1 was equivalent to 6.32 Chinese yuan.
