DE VIVAN CHEN | STYLE | http://bit.ly/2i4D1GO

#JD.com launches #luxury #e-commerce #platform #Toplife

Chinese online retailer flexes its muscles in the luxury sector with the launch of its new site, Toplife, rivalling Alibaba’s Luxury Pavilion.

Chinese e-commerce sites have been warring over who gets the biggest slice of the luxury sector. Following Alibaba’s launch in August of Luxury Pavilion – an e-commerce platform on its TMall shopping site dedicated to high-end, premier luxury brands the likes of Burberry, Hugo Boss and La Mer – JD.com has unveiled today its first-ever luxury online platform called Toplife. Alibaba Group is the owner of the South China Morning Post.

The site is said to be “an exclusive full-price online shopping platform” that allows brands to sell directly to consumers through a luxury e-commerce ecosystem that incorporates online stores, premium customer service, delivery and marketing, and warehousing and inventory.

“Our deep understanding of high-end consumers has enabled us to launch a luxury e-commerce ecosystem that provides a truly premium shopping experience, and helps partners tell their brand story to local consumers,” says Richard Liu, chairman and CEO of JD.com, in a statement. “Toplife aims to mirror the offline luxury shopping experience in a premium e-commerce experience.”

Toplife, a smart device application, is now available for downloading.

So far, six luxury brands including La Perla, Rimowa, B&O Play, Trussardi and Emporio Armani have joined the Toplife platform. JD.com suggested in the statement that more brands will be joining the platform, including ones that will be launching their first ever online stores in China.