JD.com has unveiled tech-driven shops in two cities in the Netherlands, marking the opening of the Chinese company’s first physical stores in Europe.

The new stores, located in Rotterdam and Leiden, will be called Ochama, combining the words ‘omnichannel’ and ‘amazing’ and illustrating how JD.com plans to operate the stores.

Customers can order from a vast catalogue of products on the Ochama app, including fresh food, household appliances, beauty, fashion and home products. JD.com states that it is the first retailer in the Netherlands that will offer both food and non-food in the same app.

 

The shopper then visits the store to collect an order by scanning a QR code at the checkout. In the store, the waiting customer watches JD.com’s fleet of robots picking, sorting and bringing the selected purchase where the order can then be collected from a cashierless conveyer belt. 

The robots also prepare the items for next-day home delivery, as well as for the in-store collection.

JD.com is also preparing the opening of two further Ochama stores in Amsterdam and Utrecht, stating that using its logistics and supply chain technologies can bring product prices down by 10% in these stores.

Ochama general manager Pass Lei said: “With rich experience in retail and cutting-edge logistics technologies that the company has accumulated over the years, we aspire to create an unprecedented shopping format for customers in Europe with better price and service.”

Chief operating officer Mark den Butter added: “There will be no queue and fewer traffic jams to do the chores, as [customers] can go for convenience, benefits and everything in one stop at Ochama.”

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