JD sales lept 25.1 per cent in the third quarter, to RMB104.8 billion (US$215.3 billion).

“We are pleased to report solid results for the third quarter, with our core JD Mall business driving consistent growth under its highly experienced management team,” said CEO and chairman Richard Liu.

“JD’s commitment to convenient, reliable service and high-quality, authentic products continues to translate into an increasingly loyal user base. Our ‘Retail as a Service’ strategy is also gaining traction as we provide a wide range of partners with innovative retail infrastructure solutions,” he said.

Annual active customer accounts increased to 305.2 million in the year to September 30, from 266.3 million at the same time a year earlier.

Net income from continuing operations attributable to ordinary shareholders for the third quarter was RMB3.0 billion (US$400,000), three times more than for the same period last year.

“JD’s strategic focus on improving customer experience helped drive strong performance across the business,” said Sidney Huang, JD’s CFO. “We will continue our disciplined strategy of investing in key technologies as we focus on optimising operations and driving economies of scale over the coming quarters.”

Among highlights of the quarter was the signing of a raft of major international brands to the JD platforms, including L’Occitane de Provence, House 99, Hera, Salvatore Ferragamo,  Furla, Gieves & Hawkes, Kent & Curwen, Cerruti 1881 and D’Urban. JD’s dedicated luxury platform Toplife welcomed John Galliano, Buccellati and Shang Xia among others.

As at September 30, JD had some 200,000 merchants on its online marketplace, and 175,366 full-time employees.