Costco Launches on JD.com as China's Official E-Commerce Partner - No Membership Card Required

Costco launched an official flagship store on JD.com on Wednesday, making Costco JD.com China's exclusive e-commerce partnership. Shoppers can order Costco products nationwide with fulfillment as fast as same-day - and no Costco membership card is required to buy. A trial operation had been running since late May; Wednesday's announcement formalizes the exclusive arrangement and signals it is going long-term.

30 Million Visitors Before the Formal Announcement

Costco's pilot on JD.com produced strong numbers before anyone officially confirmed it. Over 30 million visitors browsed the storefront in its first month, and nearly 200,000 accounts followed the store. Kirkland Signature products sold out repeatedly - pistachios were restocked multiple times after clearing stock within days of each restock.

Around 700 product types are live now: snacks, food staples, personal care, beauty, household paper goods, and nutritional supplements. Orders start at RMB 99 (about $13.80), low enough to make individual purchases practical rather than requiring bulk-size commitments.

Membership Card Not Required - That Is the Real Change

Costco operates 13 warehouse clubs in mainland China but remains constrained by geography. JD.com hands Costco access to 700 million active users and a logistics network capable of same-day nationwide fulfillment - covering cities where no warehouse exists. Most importantly, Costco drops its membership card requirement entirely for online purchases. No card, no annual fee, just order and receive.

Dropping the membership barrier online is a real concession for a company built around the membership model. Apple made a comparable adaptation when it partnered with Alibaba to bring Apple Intelligence to China rather than run its own AI infrastructure there - both cases show how Western companies entering China at scale often have to adjust their core product logic to local platform realities.

JD Super Runs the Partnership - Plans Are Still Forming

JD Super, JD's online supermarket arm, manages the Costco relationship on JD's side. Both companies announced plans to expand product categories, deepen supply chain coordination, develop customized products, and improve membership benefits - but gave no timelines for any of it. Whether a unified digital Costco membership bridging online and warehouse shopping is part of the roadmap was not addressed.

Costco celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. JD.com is Costco's sole official platform partner in China - not one of several options - which puts JD in a strong position if Costco's online sales in the market grow as fast as that first-month pilot suggests they might.