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The Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com is intensifying its presence in Europe, and more particularly in France, by launching its Joybuy marketplace and by becoming a significant shareholder in Fnac Darty. This dual strategy illustrates the group's ambition: to compete directly with Amazon and to establish itself on a French market in full digital transformation.
At the end of October 2025, JD.com officially relaunched its Joybuy platform in France, after a first attempt in 2015 that had not met with the expected success. This new version targets a wider audience and is positioned as a credible alternative to Amazon.
Joybuy offers a very diversified catalog: electronics, household appliances, furniture, fashion, accessories and beauty products. The group highlights its efficient logistics, inherited from its Chinese and European experience, allowing rapid deliveries, sometimes the same day for certain areas, or the next day throughout the country.
In addition to speed, JD.com focuses on a smooth user experience: simple interface, personalized recommendations, real-time order tracking. The marketplace also intends to offer competitive prices through a direct procurement model, limiting intermediaries, which could attract a price-sensitive audience without sacrificing product quality.
JD.com isn't limited to pure e-commerce. In November 2025, the Chinese group indirectly acquired around 22% of the capital of Fnac Darty through the purchase of shares held by Ceconomy. This acquisition makes JD.com the second largest shareholder of the French group, a historical player in the distribution of electronic, household and cultural products.
This acquisition of a stake does not allow JD.com to intervene directly in the daily management of Fnac Darty: the French government has required the Chinese group to remain a “dormant shareholder”, with no management rights or operational influence.
The objective is clear: to combine the power of the online marketplace with Fnac Darty's physical distribution network to offer an integrated customer experience. In-store pickup, after-sales services, simplified returns and cross-promotions are all elements that could reinforce the attractiveness of JD.com on the French market.
Several factors explain the choice of France as a strategic playground:
Despite these opportunities, the arrival of JD.com raises questions of economic and cultural sovereignty. The French authorities are closely monitoring this operation, in particular because of the risks associated with customer data and the distribution of cultural content.
If JD.com were to gain more influence one day, strategic information and personal data could theoretically be transferred to China, which worries some politicians and market players. However, at this stage, the commitments made by JD.com limit any direct interference.
For the French, the arrival of Joybuy and the investment in Fnac Darty can represent several advantages:
The arrival of JD.com in France via Joybuy and Fnac Darty marks a major turning point for French e-commerce. The group's hybrid strategy, combining marketplace and physical network, could redefine the standards of online commerce and offer consumers faster, diversified and competitive alternatives. However, this expansion remains monitored by the State to ensure cultural and digital sovereignty, and success will depend on JD.com's ability to integrate into the French market while respecting these constraints.
