Joybuy: what could it mean for UK online grocery?

One of China’s largest retailers, JD.com, will officially launch Joybuy UK next month via Joybuy.co.uk. The arrival of Joybuy adds a significant new competitor to online grocery and general merchandise delivery in the UK, raising an important question for retailers and suppliers alike: what is Joybuy UK, and how could it reshape online grocery competition.

Competing on value across grocery and general merchandise

Early scrutiny of the website reveals Joybuy selling across a wide range of categories, including electronics, pets, automotive, gaming, beauty, health & wellness and grocery.

In grocery, the site offers branded products and private label lines via Morrisons private label ranges, signalling immediate intent to compete on everyday value rather than niche specialism. 

JD.com’s backing will see Joybuy enter the UK with substantial financial firepower, operational scale and logistics expertise. The implications for the wider online grocery channel extend well beyond a simple new website launch.

What we know so far

Joybuy has been operating in test and beta phases since April 2025, gradually expanding its range and delivery coverage ahead of its formal launch.

Its parent company, JD.com, has operated online in China since 2004, serves more than 700 million active customers and reported 2024 revenues of US$158.8 billion, up 6.8% year on year. 

The UK launch forms part of a wider European rollout, with Joybuy sites also operating in Germany, the Netherlands, France, Belgium and Luxembourg.

Joybuy will not operate purely as a third-party marketplace. Instead, it is positioning itself as a retailer, holding stock and fulfilling orders directly through its own logistics infrastructure. This vertically integrated model mirrors JD.com’s core Chinese operations and allows greater control over pricing, delivery and customer experience.

JD.com is reported to have invested around £37 million in establishing the UK business so far. Warehousing has been secured in Luton and Milton Keynes, alongside regional depots to support fulfilment. Recruitment has been extensive, with approximately 1,100 employees already in place and further hiring ongoing. Matthew Nobbs, formerly of Lidl and quick commerce operator Gorillas, has been appointed UK Managing Director.

The scale of early investment points to Joybuy’s UK launch as a strategic entry, not a tentative test.

What can we learn from the Joybuy UK beta phase?

Although the official launch is imminent, the beta phase provides insight into how Joybuy intends to compete in the UK.

At launch, Joybuy UK is expected to sell around 100,000 products. That is broader than Argos (c.60,000 SKUs), but significantly narrower than the extended ranges offered via Tesco Marketplace (c.520,000 SKUs) or the millions of products sold by Amazon.

The early impression is that Joybuy UK will compete on two key areas: price and delivery.

Price positioning

In grocery, Joybuy is operating a Tesco Price Match scheme across 166 lines and selling selected Morrisons private label products. Price comparisons during its beta phase suggest parity on some private label items and selective undercutting versus Amazon on both private label and branded goods.

For example, a 400g tin of Morrisons chopped tomatoes was priced at 47p on both Morrisons and Joybuy, compared with 65p on Amazon at the time of review. On branded grocery, pricing appears more tactical. A four-pack of Heinz Baked Beans was £3.50 on Morrisons.com (promotional), £3.90 on Joybuy and £4.25 on Amazon,  suggesting Joybuy will be competitive but not uniformly the cheapest.

Outside grocery, pricing is more aggressive. An iPhone 16 Plus 128GB with an RRP of £999 was listed at £649 on Joybuy, compared with £749 at both Amazon and Argos. If sustained, this level of discounting signals a willingness to invest heavily in customer acquisition.

Delivery proposition

Joybuy is also competing on speed. Through its JoyExpress service, orders placed before 11 am are eligible for same-day delivery, while orders placed by 11 pm are scheduled for delivery by 3 pm the following day in covered areas.

This positions Joybuy between traditional next-day ecommerce and rapid delivery, bringing a quasi–quick commerce dynamic into general merchandise and grocery.

What chance of success for Joybuy UK?

The experience of Temu and Shein demonstrates that UK shoppers will adopt new online entrants rapidly if price differentials are meaningful. Value remains a powerful acquisition lever.

However, Joybuy’s initial delivery footprint, which is focused on London, Luton and Milton Keynes, will limit its immediate national impact. Established retailers retain advantages in brand recognition, customer trust and scale.

The most exposed competitor may be Argos. The business has faced inconsistent sales momentum in recent years, and its model, integrated within Sainsbury's, is still evolving.

Argos is developing its marketplace platform, expected by early 2027, which will expand its online range significantly. Yet marketplace expansion brings variability in pricing and fulfilment standards, potentially placing it at a disadvantage against Joybuy’s stock-holding model.

If Joybuy scales nationally, maintains aggressive pricing and leverages JD.com’s established logistics capabilities, it could become a credible challenger in selected non-food categories and entry-level grocery lines.

While Joybuy won’t transform the online grocery market overnight, it contributes to an intensifying competitive environment in the UK’s online channel, where price transparency, delivery expectations and platform economics are reshaping the rules of engagement.

 

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