JD.com Reunites with Uniqlo After 10 Years: Beyond Package Delivery, Now Managing Overseas Inventory

JD Group's global expansion reaches a new milestone. JD Logistics (02618-HK) recently announced a strategic partnership with Fast Retailing Group, the parent company of Uniqlo, to establish an overseas distribution network for brands including UNIQLO, GU, and Theory. The collaboration spans Asia, North America, Europe, and the Middle East, extending into omnichannel e-commerce fulfillment, AI applications, and logistics automation. This partnership not only marks JD’s acquisition of a major global apparel client but also serves as a critical real-world test of its international supply chain capabilities.

This is not the first time JD and Uniqlo have collaborated. As early as April 2015, Uniqlo joined JD.com, with Richard Liu personally endorsing the move. JD even prepared a dedicated warehouse in Shanghai exceeding 10,000 square meters. However, the partnership did not last long; Uniqlo’s flagship store on JD was later closed, with Fast Retailing stating that many issues still needed discussion and improvement.

In September 2025, Uniqlo returned to JD via a mini-program, allowing consumers to purchase products directly through the JD app, with orders routed through JD Logistics. Now, the collaboration has been upgraded further—expanding from Uniqlo to include multiple brands under the Fast Retailing umbrella and extending operations from the Chinese market to a global scale.

More importantly, the nature of their partnership has evolved. A decade ago, cooperation focused primarily on retail and delivery within China. Today, JD plays a more comprehensive role in warehousing, distribution, and system services, directly integrating into Fast Retailing’s inventory management, stock transfers, and store operations.

Fast Retailing’s decision to deepen ties with JD Logistics stems from practical needs. In the first three quarters of FY2026, Fast Retailing achieved revenue of ¥3.0651 trillion, up 17.1% year-on-year; operating profit rose to ¥592.7 billion, while net profit attributable to shareholders reached ¥426 billion, increasing by 33.6% and 25.6%, respectively.

Overseas Uniqlo operations grew even faster during the same period, generating ¥1.834 trillion in revenue, a 25.9% increase, with operating profit surging 45.4%. Markets in Europe, North America, South Korea, and Southeast Asia all showed strong growth.

Uniqlo’s Global Expansion Brings Higher Logistics Complexity

As operations expand into more countries, Fast Retailing faces rising supply chain complexity. The apparel industry heavily relies on seasonal trends and inventory control. Different markets have varying demands for sizes and styles—misallocating goods can lead to popular stores running out of stock while other regions face overstock. If summer collections arrive weeks late, entire selling seasons could be missed.

Therefore, Fast Retailing requires real-time visibility into regional inventories, enabling rapid restocking when stores run low and determining which warehouse should fulfill online orders most efficiently. JD Logistics’ proposed solution—combining AI, robotics, and a global warehousing and distribution network—is designed precisely to address these challenges.

JD’s confidence in taking on this global contract comes from its rapidly expanding supply chain capabilities. In 2025, JD Logistics reported revenue of RMB 217.1 billion, up 18.8% year-on-year, with integrated supply chain services contributing RMB 116.2 billion—a 33% increase accounting for 53.5% of total revenue.

This means over half of JD Logistics’ income now comes from deep supply chain integration. Once clients deliver goods to warehouses, JD handles not just delivery but also inventory management, stock transfers, returns processing, quality inspection, and product recovery—deepening operational integration with daily business functions.

Nearly 200 Overseas Warehouses: JD Accelerates Global Network Expansion

The model refined in China is now being rapidly replicated overseas. By the end of 2025, JD Logistics managed nearly 200 bonded, direct-mail, and overseas warehouses across 25 countries and regions, totaling close to 2 million square meters. New facilities are operational in the U.S., UK, France, South Korea, Vietnam, and Saudi Arabia, with self-operated overseas warehouse space doubling within a year.

Last-mile delivery is also expanding. JoyExpress has entered Saudi Arabia, the UK, France, Germany, and the Netherlands, offering same-day or next-day delivery in select European cities. Large appliances can even be delivered and installed. In Saudi Arabia, JD Logistics has fully integrated warehousing, sorting, and last-mile delivery.

Air freight and automation continue advancing. As of end-2025, JD Airlines operated 12 owned full-cargo aircraft, with international routes connecting multiple Southeast Asian cities. The UK’s first overseas ‘Smart Wolf Warehouse’ is now live, utilizing hundreds of robots for storage and picking operations.

However, JD’s overseas footprint remains significantly smaller than its domestic scale. While JD Logistics manages over 34 million square meters of warehouse networks in China, overseas capacity stands at nearly 2 million square meters. The key challenge ahead lies not just in building warehouses—but in securing sufficient, stable long-term orders.

This makes Fast Retailing a benchmark client. A successful partnership would not only bring JD sustained cargo volume but also serve as a direct validation of its ability to serve large multinational enterprises. Apparel items involve high SKU counts, fast-changing seasons, and frequent cross-border inventory movements—making coordination far more complex than simply delivering scattered parcels. JD’s warehouses, systems, and robots will be rigorously tested across diverse markets.

Partnering with Giants Like DHL to Complete the Global Logistics Puzzle

Beyond building its own network, JD continues forging alliances abroad. In 2023, JD Logistics partnered with Geopost, a subsidiary of La Poste France; in 2024, it teamed up with UK courier Evri. Under these models, JD manages overseas warehouses and inventory, while local partners handle last-mile delivery—reducing the time and cost of building ground-up logistics networks.

In February 2026, JD signed a memorandum of understanding with DHL, whereby DHL will recommend German brands to JD and assist them in entering the Chinese market. Both parties are also planning logistics solutions from Europe to China. For the Middle East, JD has entered a three-year partnership with FII Institute and is collaborating with Saudi MODON through JD Industrial Development to participate in local industrial and logistics infrastructure projects. Funding for overseas warehouse construction is bolstered by partners such as the Silk Road Fund and local institutional investors.

Each partner plays a distinct role: Geopost, Evri, and DHL provide transportation capacity and local expertise, while institutions like the Silk Road Fund support capital-intensive investments. In contrast, Fast Retailing brings direct value—large volumes of continuous inventory and orders.

For JD, globalization is no longer just about exporting Chinese goods—it’s about exporting its accumulated expertise in warehousing, transportation, delivery, and supply chain intelligence globally. As more international brands entrust JD with core operations, overseas warehouses gain access to stable order flows, allowing massive upfront infrastructure investments to gradually convert into sustainable revenue.

Winning Fast Retailing as a marquee client represents a pivotal test of whether JD’s global ambitions can evolve into long-term, profitable ventures.