If you are living in one of the big cities in China it has become a lot easier to buy and receive Dutch products from cross-border platforms. But it is a lot harder when living in the Chinese countryside, where there are not a lot of local stores offering this kind of products. However, the second biggest online shopping platform JingDong (JD.com) has found something for that. To make life easier they are rolling out a network of Drone launch centres.
It is not the first time that Jingdong is making steps in the area of Drones, they have started testing the possibilities of using drones in the JDX innovation lab in October 2015. Now the first step in setting up the network will take place in Sichuan province, where they are currently building 150 drone launching centres. This network will decrease the delivery cost with 70% compared to traditional logistics. The drones are panelling between the distribution centres and the receiving stations that are located in the regional delivery stations in the rural villages. These centres have village promoters (over 300.000 already) who distribute the packages to the end consumer.
These villages are hard to reach due to a complex terrain surrounding it or poor infrastructure that makes the last mile logistics challenging. There is a growing demand for western products in these areas and this network will offer a lot of potential to retailers and brands. Many Dutch brands and retailers are eager to reach these new customers with their products. The first drone launching centres will be up and running this month.
