When the COVID-19 pandemic descended upon the world in late 2019, not many people knew what to expect or what was in store. Two years down the line and millions of lives lost later, businesses around the world are doing their part to maintain social responsibility while taking care of those in need. Among the many business leaders working to provide for embattled individuals on the frontline of the COVID-19 crisis is JD.com founder Liu Qiangdong.
Liu Qiangdong recently made headlines when he committed over RMB 100 million Yuan in COVID-19 relief supplies to medical workers throughout Hong Kong. With boxes of PPE and millions of Yuan worth of supplies, donations by Qiangdong and the JD.com team will prove both lifesaving and pivotal in the battle against COVID-19.
Giving Back to Hong Kong in the Fight Against COVID
As some nations roll back and ease on COVID restrictions, Hong Kong is looking to acquire more relief supplies to combat the individuals ailing in the fight against the virus. According to Liu Qiangdong, JD.com supplied more than 100 million Yuan in COVID-19 supplies, primarily PPE. Among the PPE allocated to Hong Kong was over 15,000 protective suits and 6,000 boxes of other supplies, primarily masks, gloves, and sanitizing gels. The items were mailed from factories and warehouses throughout China before consolidating on February 23rd in Hong Kong.
The relief provided by JD.com’s Liu Qiangdong will head straight to the Hong Kong Community Anti-Coronavirus Link, a volunteer organization in Hong Kong that works on the frontline of the fight against COVID-19. As part of their donation, JD.com promises to stay in close and professional communication with the organization to continue providing support wherever the pandemic rears its head back up in Hong Kong. Utilizing digital apps and a special phone portal, Hong Kong customers can enjoy reduced exposure to potential infections.
For the better part of the past two years, Liu Qiangdong and JD.com have been leveraging its advanced supply chain capabilities as part of their social responsibility to shoppers during the pandemic. JD.comalso supplied several donations to countries including South America, Europe, and Asia to continue the fight on a global level against potential coronavirus outbreaks.
Meet Liu Qiangdong
JD.com is one of the most popular and successful e-commerce platforms in the world, rivaling Alibaba and Amazon. Originally founded by Liu Qiangdong as a little market stall, Qiangdong watched as the SARS epidemic forced him to adjust his business practices. Prior to launching JD.com, Qiangdong worked in a stall on the streets selling authentic goods to shoppers, making a name for himself as a quality source of products at an affordable price.
When the SARS epidemic hit and people turned from the streets to their homes, Qiangdong was forced to jump into the world of e-commerce. Qiangdong would develop JD.com after graduating from the People’s University of China, graduating as a Director of Computers and Service while specializing in programming, coding, and working on the expanding digital platform that is the internet.
Qiangdong saw early how the shopping environment was shipping, particularly with the then-SARS epidemic growing and instilling fear throughout the country. Qiangdong saw that increasing numbers of shoppers were opting to place their orders from home rather than risk the great outdoors, a concept we have seen repeatedly during the COVID-19 crisis.
