JD.com to Open Major Distribution Center in Belgium

Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com is set to open a large-scale distribution center in Willebroek, Belgium, after signing a long-term lease with logistics real estate company Montea for approximately 50,000 square meters at Park De Hulst. The facility, which will be operated by JD Logistics, will serve as the company’s new Belgian logistics hub and support its e-commerce expansion across Belgium and Luxembourg, according to VRT NWS.

Strategic Location Between Antwerp and Brussels

The warehouse, developed in 2017 for French sports retailer Decathlon, comprises 47,600 m² of gross lettable area and is Montea’s largest single warehouse, ranking among the top ten largest assets in its entire portfolio. The site occupies a strategic position between Antwerp and Brussels, sitting between the A12 and E19 motorways and close to both the Brussels-Scheldt waterway and the Willebroek container terminal, as Europe-re.com reported.

“This agreement confirms that scarce, high-quality locations in Belgium continue to be in strong demand,” said Xavier Van Reeth, Country Director Belgium at Montea. “The Willebroek site combines a sustainable equipped warehouse with an exceptional location between the A12 and E19 motorways, close to the Brussels-Scheldt and the Willebroek container terminal. This makes the site particularly well suited to support the further expansion of e-commerce and fulfilment activities.”

JD.com plans to equip the warehouse with a high degree of automation, tailored to the fast storage, processing, and distribution of online orders, according to the Montea press release published by Emerce.

Local Economic Impact

For the municipality of Willebroek, the arrival of JD.com represents a potential economic boost. The town lost approximately 100 to 150 jobs when Decathlon departed the site two years ago, and local unemployment currently stands at around 7.5 percent.

“Through the departure of Decathlon, some 100 to 150 jobs were lost here,” said Eddy Bevers, Mayor of Willebroek. “Any employment can certainly mean a lot for our municipality and the region. Unemployment is currently around 7.5 percent in our municipality. There is certainly potential here to find staff.”

The municipality has not yet received a permit application from JD.com, the mayor noted, and the process could take time. “We are officially not yet informed,” Bevers said. “Depending on what the company wants to do exactly, it must apply for a permit with us or with the province. As far as I know, that has not happened yet.”

Part of a Broader European Strategy

The Willebroek facility is the latest component of JD.com’s aggressive European expansion strategy. In March 2026, the company launched its Joybuy online marketplace across six European countries — the UK, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg — backed by a logistics network of more than 60 warehouses and its own last-mile delivery service, as VRT NWS reported.

The launch represented JD.com’s second attempt at the European market, following the earlier Ochama online supermarket experiment, which was merged into Joybuy. The company’s asset-heavy approach — building local warehouses and delivery fleets rather than shipping directly from China — fundamentally differentiates it from competitors like Temu and Shein, which have relied on cross-border shipping.

JD.com is also in the process of acquiring Ceconomy, the parent company of electronics chains MediaMarkt and Saturn, for approximately €2.2 billion. The German government approved the takeover in June 2026 under conditions related to data protection, and the European Commission is conducting a deep investigation with a decision expected by October 2, 2026, according to VRT NWS.

EU Customs Reform Driving Local Warehousing

The timing of JD.com’s Belgian investment is notable. Since July 1, 2026, the EU has scrapped its long-standing duty-free threshold for parcels under €150, replacing it with a flat €3 customs charge per item, as Euronews reported. The reform makes shipping directly from China to individual European consumers considerably more expensive.

The platforms most exposed, including Temu and Shein, have responded by racing to build local EU warehousing so that stock can clear customs once in bulk rather than duty by duty at the consumer’s door. JD.com’s direct, large-scale commitment in Willebroek fits squarely within that same shift from cross-border shipping to EU-based fulfillment — a trend that is now one of the more significant demand drivers behind Europe’s tightest logistics markets.

Analysts estimate that the shift to local distribution hubs could erase up to 40 percent of profit margins for platforms that previously relied on the duty-free loophole. In 2028, the permanent EU Customs Data Hub will go live, removing the €150 threshold entirely.

What This Means for European E-Commerce

JD.com’s expansion represents a significant development in the global e-commerce landscape. The company’s asset-heavy logistics model — with owned warehouses and proprietary delivery fleets — signals a fundamentally different approach to Chinese e-commerce in Europe compared with the asset-light models of Temu, Shein, and AliExpress.

As CXTMS logistics analysis notes, JD.com’s European logistics network includes more than 60 warehouses and depots across six countries, with JoyExpress providing same-day delivery to more than 15 million European households at launch. The company’s JoyPlus membership, priced at €3.99 per month, undercuts Amazon Prime’s European pricing significantly.

The acquisition of Ceconomy would add over 1,000 stores in 11 countries, making JD.com Europe’s largest electronics retailer. Combined with the Joybuy marketplace and the new Willebroek hub, JD.com is assembling an omnichannel logistics ecosystem that few European retailers can match.

Looking Ahead

While the Willebroek distribution center represents a significant commitment, several questions remain. The municipality has not yet received a permit application, suggesting the project is still in early stages. The European Commission’s investigation into the MediaMarkt acquisition could affect JD.com’s broader European strategy. And the company will need to navigate Belgium’s relatively high labor costs as it scales local operations.

For Willebroek, however, the prospect of new jobs is welcome news. As Mayor Bevers noted, the town has available workforce and is ready to support the development — provided it proceeds according to the rules and laws that apply.

With the EU’s customs reform reshaping the economics of cross-border e-commerce and JD.com investing heavily in local infrastructure, the Belgian distribution center marks another milestone in the transformation of European online retail. The coming months will reveal whether JD.com’s asset-heavy bet pays off in one of the world’s most competitive consumer markets.