On October 8th, JD.com Pet held a press conference in Beijing to launch its "Safe Pet Ownership" strategy upgrade and the JD Health Pet Hospital. Representatives from numerous industry associations and leading pet brands gathered to discuss the challenges and opportunities of the new era of pet ownership. At the conference, JD.com Pet announced a comprehensive upgrade to its "Safe Pet Ownership" strategy, aiming to provide pet owners with a more comprehensive and worry-free pet ownership experience during the upcoming JD.com 11.11 shopping festival. JD Health Pet Hospital, representing the most significant upgrade to "Safe Pet Ownership," was also officially launched at the conference. As one of the first internet-based pet hospitals in the industry, JD Health Pet Hospital not only provides pet owners with one-stop medical and health services, meeting their need for "worry-free consultations," but will also contribute to the development and standardization of the industry, creating a win-win market environment for its ecosystem partners.
JD Health Pet Hospital, a significant upgrade to "Peace of Mind Pet Ownership," has officially launched.
Han Rui, Vice President of JD.com and Head of JD Retail V Business Group, said that through continuous iteration and upgrading of the "Safe Pet Ownership" strategy, JD Pet aims to create the most trusted one-stop shopping service platform for the entire life cycle of pets, and jointly create a harmonious and beautiful life for people and pets.
Pet layout
In recent years, "petting dogs" and "cuddling cats" have become new social trends. According to an industry white paper, the pet industry market size is expected to reach 244 billion yuan in 2021. While the number of pet owners continues to grow, the pet economy still has enormous potential: compared to overseas countries, China's pet ownership rate is 17%, while Japan and the United States are 2.2 and 4 times higher, respectively. Cats and dogs, which bring comfort to people, are supporting a huge blue ocean market.
Liu Lu, General Manager of Pet Business at JD Retail Group, explained in detail the upgrade process of the "Peace of Mind Pet Ownership" strategy.
As the pet economy continues to boom, the demand for more refined pet care services, such as pet food, pet services, and pet medical care, is also exploding. However, many pain points still exist in people's pet ownership lives: most users lack experience in pet care, cleaning, feeding, and interaction; they don't know how to deal with sick pets; they don't know how to choose pet food/products; and pet ownership makes their homes smell unpleasant, all of which trouble people's pet-loving lives.
Moreover, the quietly emerging pet industry also faces many problems, such as severe brand homogenization, excessive product marketing, opaque pricing, and lack of service guarantees. Currently, there is a lack of platforms that can provide one-stop solutions, which cannot fully meet their needs for "peace of mind in pet ownership".
JD.com has been involved in the pet industry for over a decade, achieving rapid growth in recent years far exceeding the industry average. To better serve pet owners and their beloved pets, and addressing consumer pain points and industry shortcomings, JD Pet officially launched its "Worry-Free Pet Ownership" strategy this year. Starting with considerate services such as "return if your pet doesn't like the food, clothes, or toys," JD Pet demonstrates its commitment to providing worry-free pet ownership through JD.com. By establishing a pet shopping and service platform covering four key needs—"worry-free food," "worry-free supplies," "worry-free veterinary care," and "worry-free service"—JD Pet aims to provide pet owners with comprehensive, multi-channel, multi-scenario, and one-stop high-quality services.
Comprehensive services
For pet owners, while their pets' medical needs are less frequent than basic necessities like food, water, shelter, and transportation, they are still more worrisome. The difficulty and expense of accessing veterinary care have always been major pain points in pet ownership. Therefore, the official launch of JD Health Pet Hospital represents a crucial step in upgrading "peace of mind pet ownership." Building upon its previously launched 24/7 online pet health consultation service, JD Health Pet Hospital will leverage a "1+C+N" system comprised of full-time veterinarians, partner pet hospitals, and over 3,000 registered veterinarians covering seven secondary departments. This system will establish a comprehensive service ecosystem covering specialized disease centers, pre-diagnosis consultations, post-diagnosis management, online follow-up consultations, and in-person examinations, providing all-scenario, full-lifecycle pet health services. Pet owners can directly communicate with professional veterinarians and receive pet medical and health services including health consultations, online diagnoses, and referrals to hospitals. With collaborations with more ecosystem partners, JD Health Pet Hospital will also provide a range of health products and services, including prescription drugs, prescription food, medical devices, health supplements, and vaccine appointments, to comprehensively safeguard the health of pets.
Building upon the foundation of "peace of mind during consultations," this strategic upgrade for JD Pets further enhances "peace of mind in service" by launching the "Pet Medical Card," enabling pet veterinary care to be reimbursed through medical insurance. Unlike traditional pet insurance, which relies on expense reports, the "JD Pet Medical Card," similar to a medical insurance card, simplifies claims, offering features such as efficient direct payment, zero deductible, coverage for all diseases, and an 80% reimbursement rate. Simultaneously, JD Pets establishes a complete lifecycle record for pets, integrating online and offline services to provide personalized health management throughout their lives, while also creating a more efficient and precise marketing system for partner brands in the pet industry.
The "Quality Certification for Premium Pet Foods" is a key element of ensuring "peace of mind" and a highlight of this upgrade. JD Pet, based on existing national and AFFCO standards for pet food, has integrated resources to launch the "JD Platform Full-Price Pet Food Recommendation Standard," providing pet owners with a high-quality, trustworthy selection service for pet food. After rigorous selection, over 300 premium pet food brands have already received the "Quality Certification" label, giving pet owners peace of mind when purchasing. These "Quality Certification" pet foods are poised to become best-selling items during JD Pet's Super Brand Day on October 9th.
JD Pet, together with several authoritative institutions and partners, has jointly established the "Safe Pet Ownership Quality Alliance".
With the rise of a new generation of pet owners, China's pet industry is entering a golden age of development. JD.com is also playing a crucial role as a connector within the industry. At the press conference, JD Pet, together with authoritative organizations such as the China Small Animal Protection Association, the China Veterinary Medical Association, and the China Veterinary Drug Association, as well as mainstream brands like Red Dog, Nestlé, Frontline, Vegan, Royal Canin, and Ripu, officially launched the "Safe Pet Ownership Quality Alliance," calling on the entire industry to work together to improve product and service quality and create more reassuring and affordable value for pet families.
Under the "Peace of Mind Pet Ownership" initiative, JD Pet has already achieved "Peace of Mind Tasting" and "Same-Hour Delivery." The newly launched "JD Health Pet Hospital," "Premium Staple Food Quality Certification," and "Pet Medical Card" services further strengthen this commitment. Meanwhile, "Consultant Services" are continuously being improved, providing pet owners with an even more exceptional service experience. From pet e-commerce to pet health management, from pre-sales pet services to one-stop pet living, JD Pet's comprehensive efforts and leading-edge strategy are constantly raising the service level and ecosystem scale of the pet industry.
"During the upcoming JD.com 11.11 shopping festival, JD Pet will concentrate its high-quality resources to turn 200 trending new products into best-selling items!" Liu Lu, General Manager of JD Retail Group's Pet Business, revealed a "small goal" at the press conference, giving pet owners and partners more to look forward to. She stated that in the future, JD.com will continue to work with pet industry participants to build a safe and secure pet-raising ecosystem, and jointly create a better world for pet owners.
