BEIJING -- JD.com, China's second-biggest online shopping service, has begun selling some of its goods through a Google e-commerce platform in the U.S., a tie-up that offers both sides a chance to expand their virtual retail reach.
Shoppers can buy around 500 products from JD.com's Joybuy in-house brand -- including keyboards, headphones and kitchen appliances -- through Google Express, which also hosts American outlets like discount retailer Costco Wholesale. More goods from the Chinese company likely will be added down the road.
The move represents the first outgrowth of a capital partnership that began with Google's $550 million investment in JD.com last June.
Google aims to expand its online shopping operations and gain an edge over rivals by offering the Chinese e-tailer's lineup. The tie-up offers JD.com a way to capture overseas demand as its domestic e-commerce business loses steam.
The partners are expected to use the collaboration as a springboard to work together on developing technology, such as for JD.com's push into automated stores powered by artificial intelligence.
The Chinese company also has teamed with other international retailers, such as Japanese virtual mall Rakuten and U.S. giant Walmart, as it chases overseas growth in its mainstay logistics business along with online shopping operations.
