Goodyear Ventures into E-Commerce in China

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company today has signed a strategic partnership with JD.com, the largest retailer in China, to venture into e-commerce in the Chinese market. This marks an innovative approach to distribution and will expand Goodyear’s reach among customers in the region. The two partners signed the agreement for strategic cooperation in Shanghai on December 1.

As part of the partnership, Goodyear will its very own Goodyear-branded channel on JD.com and JD will coordinate closely with Goodyear’s tyre and service centres spread across 10 cities in China to deliver a
seamless omni-channel experience to customers. This new partnership will significantly advance Goodyear’s efforts to make headway in the Chinese auto aftermarket with the help of a new distribution model.

Yang Jian, Vice President, Goodyear in Southern China said at the signing ceremony that it is essential for the tyre industry in China to leverage the ‘internet plus’ trend to stay ahead of the shift toward a high-level consumption experience. He said Goodyear was motivated to modernize its distribution network after recognizing the growing importance of e-commerce in China’s auto aftermarket.

He added, “I’m proud that this strategic partnership between Goodyear and JD.com will create a brand-new distribution network for Goodyear in China. By offering key products online and leveraging JD’s omni-channel capabilities, Goodyear will significantly expand its distribution network in China, ramp up consumers’ trust that they are receiving authentic products, and provide customers with premium, quality service.”

Yishen Tang, General Manager of JD’s auto accessories department said the partnership highlighted how JD.com’s reach can help simplify the e-commerce experience for products that are traditionally considered challenging to sell online as JD.com offers the advantages of its massive network and big data capabilities.

The partnership will help Goodyear to disrupts its traditional multi-layer agents-based distribution network, shorten its supply chain, and target consumers more efficiently. Goodyear will also support JD during key campaigns, like festive sales and sector specific sales. As part of such campaigns, JD will promote Goodyear products with a strategic partnership privilege. Goodyear will also utilize JD.com’s big data analysis to develop a better understanding of customer needs and move faster to adapt to market demand.