In a tale of e-commerce rivalry that shaped the modern Chinese market, the early 2010s witnessed a high-stakes battle for dominance in the bookselling sector. This clash was spearheaded by two titans—JD.com, led by the ambitious Liu Qiangdong, and Dangdang, founded by Li Guoqing. The conflict, as recounted in newly surfaced interviews, highlights the crucial role of strategy, ambition, and sheer determination in the cutthroat world of business.
The seeds of the conflict were sown one night in 2010, when Liu Qiangdong famously declared, “If JD.com’s book business makes a profit in the next five years, I’ll fire you all…” This bold statement of intent, signaling a willingness to prioritize market share over immediate profitability, rippled through the industry.
Li Guoqing, upon hearing of this vow, responded in kind, vowing to retaliate fiercely against any price-cutting tactics from JD.com. This set the stage for a price war that would shake the very foundations of the e-commerce landscape.
Recent interview snippets with Li Guoqing, released by veteran media personality @春蔚, offer a revealing perspective on the intensity of the rivalry. Li acknowledged the emotional strain caused by Liu’s aggressive tactics but conceded, “Liu Qiangdong had more ambition.”
When questioned about JD.com’s strategy of entering the book market, Li recalled, “JD.com was then behind Dangdang in terms of brand recognition and sales. Their sales and traffic were about 75% of Dangdang’s, but Liu Qiangdong dared to gamble.” This willingness to take risks, to use a secondary business line to challenge an established competitor, proved to be a turning point.
Liu’s commitment to his strategy was unambiguous. He vowed to drive book prices down to zero if necessary, forbidding his book division from making any profit whatsoever.
Against all odds, JD.com’s approach prevailed, marking a significant shift in market power. The story took an even more unexpected turn recently, as Li Guoqing shared a photo on social media showing a delivery of food ordered from JD Delivery, a service of the very company that was once his fiercest rival. This gesture symbolized an end to a decade-long saga, with the two leaders now appearing to have moved on.
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