DangDang.com
DangDang.com (当当网) is a privately held Beijing-based B2C e-commerce platform founded in 1999, serving individual Chinese consumers with a 600,000+ book catalog plus general merchandise, supported by nationwide logistics and cash-on-delivery across 700+ cities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersBeijing, China
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What DangDang.com does
DangDang.com (当当网) is a Beijing-headquartered B2C e-commerce platform founded in November 1999 that built its initial franchise on books — operating a catalog of approximately 600,000 titles at scale — and subsequently extended into general merchandise categories including electronics, fashion, home goods, cosmetics, maternal/infant products, and food, alongside digital reading (cloud-reader e-books), group-buying, gift cards, and corporate procurement channels. The platform runs on proprietary technology developed in-house: an integrated website and mobile applications, internal logistics and warehouse management systems, ERP, an automated price-comparison engine designed to maintain lowest-price positioning, and a personalized product recommendation service launched in October 2006 — the first such deployment among Chinese e-commerce platforms. Distribution is anchored by owned warehouses in Beijing, East China, South China, Chengdu, Zhengzhou, and Wuhan, supplemented by partnerships with local express delivery companies to provide cash-on-delivery across 700–800 cities and next-day delivery in 150 cities, covering all 32 Chinese provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions.
The company monetizes through a hybrid revenue model combining first-party retail (direct sales of inventory with product-margin economics), marketplace commissions from third-party merchants on the open platform with category-variable take rates, affiliate-program referral fees, gift card and corporate procurement sales, and group-purchasing transactions; enterprise procurement (企业采购) is a dedicated B2B channel with negotiated pricing. DangDang was venture-funded through Tiger Fund, IDG Capital, DCM, Walden International, Alto Global, and Asia Venture Capital Fund across rounds in 2000, 2004, and 2006 (cumulative disclosed VC funding of approximately $44 million), subsequently listed on the NYSE under ticker DANG, and was taken private in 2019 by co-presidents Li Guoqing and Yu Yu in a transaction valued at approximately $1 billion; the company currently operates as a private B2C platform in China with a headcount of 5,001–10,000 employees, no public revenue disclosure, and a $21 million settlement of going-private litigation preliminarily approved in 2026.
DangDang.com firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- DangDang.com
- Legal name
- 北京当当科文电子商务有限公司 (Beijing Dangdang Kewen E-Commerce Co., Ltd.)
- Website
- https://dangdang.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- DangDang.com (当当网) is a privately held Beijing-based B2C e-commerce platform founded in 1999, serving individual Chinese consumers with a 600,000+ book catalog plus general merchandise, supported by nationwide logistics and cash-on-delivery across 700+ cities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
DangDang.com industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Retail / E-commerce
- NAICS
- General Merchandise Retailers (455)
- SIC
- Retail-Misc General Merchandise Stores (5399)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Omnichannel Commerce & Click-and-Collect Platforms (BPAMAGAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- General Merchandise/Department Store Omnichannel (CRAFAEAF)
Keywords
Where DangDang.com is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Beijing
- HQ country
- China
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices9 records
Markets served
DangDang.com business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Product Sales (Direct): Direct retail sales of books, audio-visual products, electronics, home goods, cosmetics, and general merchandise to consumers through the dangdang.com platform. Revenue generated from markups on product sales.
- Marketplace Commission: Platform fees and commissions charged to third-party merchants selling on the DangDang open marketplace. Commission rates vary by product category (e.g., books 2.6%-4.6%, general merchandise 1.1%-14.6%, education/training 3.6%-10.6%).
- Gift Cards: Sale of DangDang gift cards (当当礼品卡) to consumers and corporate customers for gifting and employee rewards.
- Enterprise/Corporate Sales: Corporate procurement services, institutional sales, and bulk purchasing programs for business customers.
- Group Purchasing: 团购 (group buying) services for bulk orders, corporate accounts, and institutional customers.
- Affiliate/联盟佣金: Revenue from affiliate marketing program (当当联盟) where partners earn commissions for driving sales to the platform.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Annual | Books Category - Publisher/Store Commission Rates |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Annual | General Merchandise Commission Rates |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Annual | Education/Training Category |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Special Products/Exceptions Commission |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
DangDang.com product offering
Product offeringCore offering
DangDang.com is a Chinese e-commerce platform that sells books, audio-visual products, electronics, fashion, home goods, cosmetics, and general merchandise directly to consumers through its website and mobile applications. In addition to direct retail, it operates a third-party open marketplace where merchants sell on the platform, and offers enterprise procurement, gift cards, group buying, and an affiliate program as ancillary services. The platform is supported by a proprietary logistics network covering 700+ cities with cash-on-delivery and same-city delivery in 150 cities.
Product overview
DangDang.com is a comprehensive e-commerce platform primarily focused on books (its core strength) while expanding into general merchandise including electronics, fashion, home goods, and maternal/infant products. The platform operates both as a first-party retailer (self-operated) and as a marketplace for third-party sellers. Key products include the main DangDang e-commerce platform, DangDang e-books/digital reading service, group buying (当当拼团), gift cards (当当礼品卡), the affiliate program (当当联盟), corporate B2B procurement services, and the marketplace platform for third-party merchants. The company also operates specialized channels like the discount section (尾品汇).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- DangDang.com E-commerce Platform (当当网) Comprehensive Chinese e-commerce marketplace offering books, audio-visual products, electronics, fashion, home goods, cosmetics, maternal/infant products, and general merchandise to individual consumers across China.
- DangDang E-books / Cloud Library (当当电子书/云书房)
Quantifiable outcome
- 100%+ annual growth rate maintained
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use DangDang.com
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
DangDang.com technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature4 records
DangDang.com partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.
- China Publishing Workers Association (中国出版工作者协会)majorCo-organized the 3rd China Internet Users Reading Festival (中国第三届网民读书节) with Zhongguancun Science Park Yukanyuan Management Committee.
- Philips, L'Oreal, Casio, Nike, Lego and 300+ BrandsmajorPartnership with over 300 international and domestic brands including Philips, L'Oreal, Casio, Nike, and Lego to sell their products on DangDang platform.
- 中国出版工作者协会majorJoint organizer of the 1st China Internet Users Reading Festival in April 2007, promoting online book culture and reading.
- China UnionPay (中国银联)coreEstablished comprehensive strategic partnership in July 2006, launching innovative online-to-offline payment service '线上消费、线下刷卡' combining internet shopping with physical card payments.
- Local Logistics/Express PartnerscorePartnerships with local express delivery companies across 700+ cities enabling cash-on-delivery service nationwide.
Scale indicators14 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
DangDang.com competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Suning.com (苏宁易购): Suning is a major Chinese omnichannel retailer combining online and offline stores across electronics, appliances, books, and general merchandise — directly comparable to DangDang's online-plus-offline general-merchandise and electronics strategy.
- JD.com (京东): JD.com is China's largest direct-retail B2C e-commerce platform with proprietary nationwide logistics — overlapping directly with DangDang's direct-retail, COD, and next-day delivery model, and competing head-to-head in books, electronics, and general merchandise.
- Vipshop (唯品会): Vipshop is a Chinese flash-sale and discount B2C platform — comparable to DangDang's 尾品汇 (DangDang Preferred Products) off-price section and group-buying discounts across apparel and consumer goods.
- Tmall (天猫): Tmall is Alibaba's B2C marketplace hosting brand storefronts — directly comparable to DangDang's 3P open marketplace (当当开放平台) and to DangDang's brand partnership model with Philips, L'Oreal, Nike, Lego and others.
- Yhd.com (1号店): Yhd.com is a Chinese B2C online supermarket for groceries and general merchandise — overlapping with DangDang's general-merchandise assortment and competing for the same broad Chinese household consumer.
- Gome Retail (国美零售): Gome is one of China's largest electronics and appliance retailers with both online and physical stores — overlapping with DangDang's electronics category, omnichannel distribution, and household appliance offerings.
- Pinduoduo (拼多多): Pinduoduo pioneered social/group-based e-commerce in China — comparable to DangDang's group-purchasing (当当拼团) feature and competing in the same low-price, deal-driven Chinese consumer segment.
- Amazon China (亚马逊中国): Amazon China historically competed directly with DangDang in books (Kindle, paper books) and general merchandise, sharing comparable B2C catalog depth and international brand assortment, though Amazon has wound down its domestic marketplace operations.
Broad incumbents
- Meituan (美团): Meituan operates China's leading local services and instant-retail platform — comparable to DangDang in local delivery, group buying (美团团购), and consumer reach, though broader in food delivery and services than pure retail.
Emerging players
- iReader Technology (掌阅科技): iReader is a leading Chinese digital-reading and e-book platform — directly comparable to DangDang's e-books and 云书房 (cloud bookshelf) offering and to the broader reading-content category that DangDang was founded on.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
DangDang.com social profiles
Digital presenceDangDang.com financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DangDang.com leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
DangDang.com funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors5 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
DangDang.com M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about DangDang.com
What does DangDang.com do?
DangDang.com is a Chinese e-commerce platform that sells books, audio-visual products, electronics, fashion, home goods, cosmetics, and general merchandise directly to consumers through its website and mobile applications. In addition to direct retail, it operates a third-party open marketplace where merchants sell on the platform, and offers enterprise procurement, gift cards, group buying, and an affiliate program as ancillary services. The platform is supported by a proprietary logistics network covering 700+ cities with cash-on-delivery and same-city delivery in 150 cities.
Is DangDang.com a public or private company?
DangDang.com is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was DangDang.com founded?
DangDang.com was founded in 1999. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is DangDang.com based?
DangDang.com is headquartered in Beijing, China, in the Asia region.
How does DangDang.com make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Product Sales (Direct) is the primary driver. The others are marketplace Commission, gift Cards, enterprise/Corporate Sales, group Purchasing and affiliate/联盟佣金.
Who are DangDang.com's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Suning.com (苏宁易购), JD.com (京东), Vipshop (唯品会), Tmall (天猫), Yhd.com (1号店), Gome Retail (国美零售), Pinduoduo (拼多多) and Amazon China (亚马逊中国). Meituan (美团) is listed as a broad incumbent. iReader Technology (掌阅科技) is listed as an emerging player.
Does DangDang.com have an API?
No public API is recorded for DangDang.com.
What industry is DangDang.com in?
DangDang.com's product category is Online Retail / E-commerce. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAGAL, Omnichannel Commerce & Click-and-Collect Platforms, with a secondary code of CRAFAEAF, General Merchandise/Department Store Omnichannel. Its NAICS code is 455 and its SIC code is 5399.