AsianFin -- JD.com Inc. plans to launch five discount superstores across two Chinese cities, stepping up its push into brick-and-mortar retail as competition in the country’s e-commerce sector heats up.

The Beijing-based company confirmed on Tuesday that it will open the stores in Zhuozhou, Hebei province, and Suqian, Jiangsu province, corroborating an earlier report by the state-backed Beijing Business Today. The move signals JD.com’s latest effort to diversify its retail footprint beyond its core online marketplace, as rivals such as Pinduoduo and Alibaba ramp up their discount strategies.