JD.com has announced Zarina Kanji as its first director of European direct sourcing, as the firm expands its European presence.

In her new role, which she will carry out from JD.com’s Hammersmith office, Kanji will source European brands for JD.com’s platform with special consideration for beauty, fashion, health and sport.

Prior to joining JD.com, Kanjiworked in digital and retail strategy for the southeast Asia e-commerce platform Lazada Group, Alibaba Group, and Holland & Barrett.

In parallel to these roles, Kanji is managing director of her own growth consulting firm Kanji Global.

JD.com launched its JoyBuy online marketplace in the UK in March, offering products across categories including appliances, beauty, groceries and technology.

In June, Labour MPs called for the government to look at the firm’s UK expansion, over concerns that it could have benefitted from anti-competitive Chinese state subsidies. The move was sparked by JD.com’s €2.2 billion move to acquire the retail firm Ceconomy, in which it holds an 85.2 per cent stake.

JD.com has pushed back against these claims, with a spokesperson at the time stating that the Ceconomy acquisition "will not be financed by any foreign subsidies granted by China or any other non-EU member state, but instead is funded by external private bank debt and available cash from ordinary course business activities".

China has objected to the European Union’s investigation into the takeover and has ordered Chinese firms against assisting the European Commission, following what it called “extensive and unnecessary” demands for information to a Chinese entity.

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