In the chilly winds of the last lunar month, sunlight feels particularly warm in Wuxi. Jin Yicai, JD Logistics' first courier in Wuxi, opened a familiar JD.com parcel box. The red packaging of the 2026 New Year family gift lit up his smiling face. "I never expected my former colleagues to still remember me two years after retirement!" he exclaimed. This gesture of enduring camaraderie moved him to share a short video online, which drew thousands of likes and comments expressing admiration for his fulfilling retired life.
In 2009, seeking to end his sense of rootlessness, Jin became the inaugural courier for JD Logistics in Wuxi. Holding an employee badge marked "NO.WXP001," he embarked on a new chapter. His supervisor's promise that "you could buy a home within five years" initially seemed far-fetched. However, JD.com's performance-based compensation system and stable career platform turned this into reality—in under five years, Jin purchased his first home in Wuxi, reuniting his family after years apart. "I'd switched jobs multiple times without ever feeling I belonged. JD.com gave me that sense of home," he reflected.
This belonging stemmed from 15 years of consistent rights protection and deep bonds forged with coworkers. Amid high turnover rates in the courier industry, Jin's 15-year tenure stands out, underpinned by the company's robust support system. JD Logistics upholds "three 100% commitments": 100% signed labor contracts, 100% social security and housing fund contributions, and 100% access to full-time employee benefits. These ensured Jin's career was free from uncertainties.
Continuous social security payments paved the way for a stable retirement, while diversified income sources—including piece-rate wages, meal subsidies, attendance bonuses, and seniority awards—enabled him to accumulate substantial savings through hard work. Before retiring, he not only established roots in Wuxi but also helped his two sons settle in Nanjing and Wuxi, securing the next generation's urban future.
In January 2024, adorned with a ceremonial red flower by colleagues, Jin retired honorably, concluding a career marked by dedication and warmth. Today, his retirement is both busy and comfortable. A monthly pension of over 4,000 yuan, combined with savings exceeding a million, frees him from financial worries. "I have a home and a car, but I still brim with energy," he shared. His days involve grocery shopping, cooking, and caring for his granddaughter. When idle, he works part-time as a security guard at a nearby market, maintaining an active lifestyle. Fitness habits from his youth, like weightlifting and handgrip exercises, keep him robust and energetic past sixty.
On camera, he cheerfully offered, "If JD.com needs extra hands during sales promotions, I'm ready to help!" This affection for his former employer springs from 15 years of feeling valued and respected. As the Lunar New Year approaches, receiving a dedicated gift from old colleagues filled him with pride: "Back then, every courier got one. Now with 900,000 employees, the tradition continues!" The gift symbolizes not just corporate care but enduring fellowship. To Jin, it reaffirms he "remains one of the team." In a viral video, he sincerely wished, "Happy New Year to my brothers! May JD.com thrive!"—simple words echoing a profound bond between employee and company.
Jin's fulfilling retirement exemplifies personal perseverance and corporate accountability. Since establishing its logistics network in 2007, JD Logistics has prioritized employee rights while expanding into a giant with 900,000 staff. Data shows that in H1 2021 alone, JD Logistics spent 17.2 billion yuan on frontline workers' compensation and benefits. Its 2025 recruitment plan further emphasized welfare safeguards and career growth for couriers and other roles. Such long-term investment fosters loyalty and builds a symbiotic ecosystem where both company and employees prosper.
From an industry perspective, Jin's case highlights disparities in labor protections across China's courier sector. Approximately 80% of millions of couriers work under franchise models, often with unstable or absent social security. Authoritative studies indicate only about 50% of frontline couriers had pension insurance in 2025, with medical and workplace injury coverage similarly inadequate. JD Logistics' direct-employment model avoids diluted accountability, ensuring comprehensive benefits for workers like Jin. This gap reflects both business model choices and industry challenges—full social security for vast courier teams entails significant costs not all firms can bear amid fierce competition.
Yet Jin's story proves employee welfare and corporate growth aren't mutually exclusive. Through 15 years of commitment, JD Logistics cultivated staff loyalty and gained market trust via consistent service quality. In 2023, its revenue hit 166.6 billion yuan, up 21.3% year-on-year, with external clients contributing 70%—a win-win in social and economic terms. The logic that "protecting employees ensures service quality, and treating workers well boosts competitiveness" offers a blueprint for high-quality industry development.
Looking ahead, Jin plans to "renovate his old rural home in Anhui after the New Year, travel more with family, and save for his grandchildren." This serenity stems from financial security and a passion for life. His journey demonstrates how ordinary workers can achieve self-worth through diligence, and how corporate responsibility translates into tangible well-being.
As the Lunar New Year approaches, Jin's narrative resonates like a warm current in winter. It reminds us that every worker's dedication deserves respect, and every steadfast effort merits reward. When companies prioritize employees' long-term interests and laborers' rights are guaranteed, mutual growth becomes possible, making "happy retirement" a norm rather than an exception. At this transitional time, Jin's fulfillment isn't just personal—it's a milestone for industry progress, inspiring hope that such warmth and perseverance will spread wider in the coming year.