Rakuten news

Japanese supermarket chain Daiei will launch an unmanned store in Tokyo, in collaboration with Chinese startup Cloudpick.  In addition, Rakuten and Seiyu are now also using robots to deliver supermarket purchases in Yokosuka City, Japan. Cost to implement Daiei’s store is 50% cheaper than similarly sized unmanned stores Daiei, an affiliate of AEON, will open this unmanned supermarket in Tok...

The pandemic has triggered the decline of the beauty market in 2020, but key suppliers such as Procter & Gamble and L’Oréal are now expecting growth to return, through their online sales. L’Oréal: ecommerce to aid return to growth of cosmetics Although the total sales of L’Oréal has dropped for the full year of 2020, APAC is the only region that reported growth during the year.  This is mai...

Walmart, KKR and Rakuten have signed an agreement that will change the ownership structure of Seiyu in Japan. New ownership structure In a deal worth JPY172.5bn (approx. US$1.6bn), KKR will acquire 65% majority stake in Seiyu, Rakuten will acquire a 20% stake, through a newly created subsidiary, and Walmart will retain 15%. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and is expected ...

We round up the latest COVID-19 related news from Japan as retailers respond to changes in consumer trends and government policies. 1 July - plastic bag charge now mandatory On 1 July, the government made plastic bag fees mandatory across the country. Matsumoto KiYoshi and some other businesses such as Aeon had already been charging fees for plastic bags  since April . 25 May state of ...

Rakuten has published its results for the three months ended March 31, 2020. Group revenue was up 18.2% to JPY331,443m (US$2.9bn) compared with the same period last year. Internet Services revenue up 12.8% Year-on-year revenue from Internet Services, Rakuten’s core business including ecommerce and travel booking services, increased 12.8% to JPY190,678m (US$1.7bn). Services such as the In...

Rakuten has published its results for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, with Group revenue up 14.7% to JPY1,263.9bn (US$11.7bn) year-on-year (yoy). Internet Services revenue up 17.1% Revenue from Internet Services, Rakuten’s core business including ecommerce and travel booking services, increased 17.1% to JPY792.5bn (US$7.3bn) yoy. Segment profit fell by 15.8% to JPY90.7bn (US$842.6m...

Rakuten and Walmart's Seiyu are planning to open a new logistics site in Yokohama, Japan, later this year. New site to service growing online sales The new logistics site will service growing online sales from Rakuten Seiyu Netsuper. The platform recorded a 30% sales increase year-on-year between late October and end of December. High delivery and logistical costs in Japan have historica...

Retailers in Japan are exploring innovative ways to make shopping more convenient. Drone deliveries to support the elderly Lawson has teamed up with Rakuten to offer drone deliveries in Minamisoma. The town has many elderly residents who have difficulty getting around. The service will run for six months before the companies decide whether to make it permanently available. Nearly all of ...

Rakuten has published its results for the nine months ended September 30, with Group revenue up 14.6% to JPY905,781m (US$8.3bn) year-on-year (yoy). Internet Services revenue up 18.5% Revenue from Internet Services, Rakuten’s core business including ecommerce and travel booking services, increased 18.5% to JPY561,092m (US$5.1bn) yoy. Segment profit increased by 14.5% to JPY114,039m (US$1bn) ...

Online shopping mall Rakuten and supermarket chain Seiyu have agreed to road test autonomous delivery robots service, in collaboration with JD.com. Delivering goods using the Rakuten UGV The autonomous delivery robots service is to be tested from September 21 to October 27. Using the Rakuten Drone app, shoppers can place their orders from the Seiyu Livin Yokosuka Store and have the goods...