JD.com aims at three 'unmanned strategies' for swift deliveries

An employee works at a JD.com logistic centre in Langfang, Hebei province, November 10, 2015.[Photo/Agencies]

BEIJING - Chinese online retailer JD.com has announced three "unmanned strategies" to automate its logistics.

CEO Liu Qiangdong said the company will automating its logistic flow by introducing drones and driverless cars in deliveries.

JD.com will build its first fully-automated warehouse in Beijing, where goods will be sorted and delivered by robot, Liu said on Wednesday.

"Drones will be used in rural areas, where cost of delivery is up to five times more than in towns," he said.

Driverless cars will deliver goods to designated pickup spots where robots will load them directly into clients' cars, Liu said.

JD.com announced on Friday that it would work with robot maker Siasun on logistics.

JD.com earned 54 billion yuan ($8.3 billion) in net revenue in Q1, up 47.3 percent year on year, with its gross merchandise volume growing by 55 percent to about 129 billion yuan.

The company's sales data showed that consumers are more and more inclined to buy quality products. Sales of electronic goods are concentrated on the top three brands in various categories.

Orders rose by over 50 percent in the first three months with more than two thirds coming from mobile terminals such as smartphones.