AMZ123 has learned that Rakuten Group officially launched its directly operated budget shopping mall “Rakuten Rakuyokocho” on August 25. The platform initially rolled out about 60,000 SKUs, covering apparel, mobile phone accessories, household and kitchen goods, with prices starting from a few hundred yen. It offers free shipping on orders of 2,100 yen or more (tax included), excluding remote islands of Okinawa. Shoppers earn 1 Rakuten point for every 100 yen spent (excluding tax), new users receive a 500 yen coupon, and the “R Select” label reinforces product quality assurance.

In terms of page design, “Rakuten Rakuyokocho” moves away from the traditional shelf model centered on search and price comparison, adopting a clean gradient visual design and a vertically scrolling feed. Based on users’ browsing and purchase behavior, it recommends relevant content on the homepage and below product detail pages, enhancing interactivity and real-time conversion efficiency during shopping.

This move mainly targets Generation Z and price-sensitive young consumers. With inflation in Japan weighing on disposable income and Temu and SHEIN continuing to expand their influence, Rakuten is operating low-price, high-frequency products independently from its main site through a standalone app and domain. While maintaining the main site’s brand positioning, this helps Rakuten respond to competition from overseas low-price platforms. It also shows that Japanese e-commerce giants are strengthening young consumer loyalty through a combination of “social-media-style browsing + points system + self-operated product selection,” while cross-border operating models that rely solely on low-price listings face greater challenges.

Seller Home Review

Rakuten’s entry into the budget market with a self-operated supply chain, logistics and points system may become core barriers against Temu. Sellers are advised to monitor its social commerce shopping guide tactics and product selection logic. They can test combinations of low-price, small and light items with Generation Z marketing, but need to assess the platform’s traffic support.

Source: AMZ123
Original link: https://www.amz123.com/kx/RkHVUGn1