(Yicai Global) Jan. 10 -- Chinese online book retailer Dangdang has reached a partnership agreement with JD.Com to open an official store on the e-commerce platform.

Dangdang will open a flagship store on JD.Com, with the pair also ready to cooperate on commodities, supply chains, and marketing, the Beijing-based company said today.

Founded in 2000, Dangdang has been quiet for a while. The firm went public on the New York Stock Exchange in December 2010, but was taken private in September 2016.

The tie-up will enhance Dangdang’s advantages in the integration of publishing resources, Vice President Fu Xuan said. It will also boost JD.Com’s book business and its advantages in product quality and prices, according to Zhang Wei, the business’ head at JD.Com.

Dangdang’s e-commerce business mainly focuses on books, Pan Helin, co-chair of the digital economy and financial innovation research center at Zhejiang University’s International Business School, told Yicai Global. Dangdang seeks to transition from an online book seller into a multi-category e-commerce platform, and hopes the new partnership will increase its sales and storage services, he noted.

But it will be hard for Dangdang to enhance its diversified operation with the help of visitor traffic and the supply chain advantages of other platforms because JD.Com will use the alliance mainly to boost its book business, which will only consolidate Dangdang’s book business, Pan pointed out.

JD.Com’s books business does not cover many titles, so Dangdang can help it diversify that, Pan said, adding that it will be a challenge for Dangdang to lift JD.Com’s sales as it needs to compete with many other merchants.

JD.Com recently unveiled a 12-policy initiative called Spring Dawn to help its vendors. From Jan. 1, the firm allowed individuals to open shops on its platform in just 10 minutes, using only their identity documents and phone numbers, through its own app, WeChat account JD.Com Merchants, and other mobile means.

Editors: Shi Yi, Futura Costaglione