-- On April 25, a special order at JD.com’s omnichannel supermarket 7FRESH Yicheng Jingyuan store in Beijing captured the hearts of employees and leadership alike. An anonymous overseas customer purchased 85 cups of coffee, dedicating them to JD.com’s founder and chairman, Richard Liu, and all JD employees, along with a heartfelt message of appreciation.
An Anonymous Order from the “Coffee Knight”
In the order notes, the customer – a Chinese JD user living abroad, praised Richard Liu’s dedication to advancing China’s e-commerce industry: “With this cup of coffee, I want to salute your years of leadership and commitment to social responsibility.” The note also extended warm wishes for JD’s future success: “May JD reach new heights and shine brightly in the global market.” Thoughtfully, the customer added, “No need to contact me for delivery—and yes, the delivery heroes deserve a coffee too!”
The 7FRESH team acted swiftly on the cross-border gesture, ensuring the coffees reached JD’s frontline heroes—delivery riders, couriers, customer service representatives, and store pickers.
The story quickly spread across the company, with employees affectionately dubbing the sender the “Coffee Knight.” In response, JD officially thanked the sender by gifting them a lifetime JD PLUS membership, paying the kindness forward.
This exchange—85 coffees from a caring stranger and JD’s gratitude in return—epitomizes JD’s core values: putting people first and fostering a culture of mutual respect. It’s a reminder that kindness transcends borders and inspires us all.
JD’s Commitment to People: A Broader Mission
This heartwarming moment aligns with JD’s ongoing efforts to support its workforce and partners. On February 19, JD.com announced that starting on March 1, 2025, it will provide full social insurance for all full-time delivery riders, and accident and medical insurance for part-time riders, making JD.com the first major Chinese delivery platform to offer such comprehensive benefits. Additionally, JD Food Delivery introduced year-round zero-commission policies to attract high-quality restaurants, ensuring better, safer meals for consumers.
The momentum speaks for itself:
- March 24: JD Food Delivery hit 1 million daily orders—just 40 days after launch.
- April 15: Orders surpassed 5 million daily.
- April 21: JD published An Open Letter to All Delivery Riders, pledging to protect riders’ rights to cross-platform flexibility, and planning to expand full-time hires from 50,000 to 100,000 in three months. The same day, Richard Liu took to the streets of Beijing to personally deliver orders, capturing widespread public attention and earning strong support.
- April 22: JD Food Delivery reached 10 million daily orders and is now serving 300,000+ restaurants across 166 Chinese cities.
A Ripple Effect of Goodwill
From the Coffee Knight’s thoughtful gesture to JD’s deep commitment to its workforce, this story shows how small acts of kindness can inspire greater change. At JD.com, we believe every act of goodwill deserves sincerity, and together, we can build a warmer, more connected world.
