Japan’s Rakuten announced it has arranged to use open source technologies provided by Red Hat in its upcoming end-to-end cloud native mobile network. The network, which is scheduled to launch in October, will use Red Hat’s open hybrid cloud technologies,…
Visual commerce AI firm ViSenze has partnered with Samsung to help users easily discover and purchase products using the Shopping by Bixby Vision app on the electronics firm’s mobile devices. The partnership employs ViSenze’s automated visual-commerce…
Chinese online retailer JD and Rakuten, the Japanese e-commerce firm, will collaborate on developing unmanned delivery solutions in Japan. According to a new agreement signed between JD and Rakuten, JD’s drones and autonomous delivery robots will be used in…
Nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) of consumers in Asia will no longer shop with a retailer after just one poor customer experience. That is one of the conclusions of a research study conducted by unified commerce provider Tofugear in partnership with Rakuten…
Japanese online retail company Rakuten is partnering with Walmart-owned supermarket Seiyu to launch an online grocery service. Spokespeople from the companies say about 20,000 products will be available on the site, drawn from the Seiyu range, including fresh…
Japan’s Rakuten Mobile Network said it has completed over-the-air 5G trials in the 28-GHz frequency band using equipment provided by Nokia and Intel. The trials were carried out from June in a shielded room at the Nokia Kawasaki Technology Center located in…
Japanese e-commerce company Rakuten is to buy Curbside, an app which offers shoppers mobile ordering from brick-and-mortar stores for outside pickup. Curbside says after the acquisition it will continue to operate as an independent company, with its products,…
Singapore classifieds marketplace Carousell has raised US$85 million in series-C funding. The round was co-led by Rakuten Ventures and EDBI, with participation from existing investors 500 Startups, Golden Gate Ventures and Sequoia India, as well as new…
Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten has secured government approval to deploy 4G mobile services in the 1.7-GHz frequency band, and now plans to launch as the nation’s fourth mobile operator in October. New subsidiary Rakuten Mobile Network plans to raise up to…
As part of its plan to become the country’s fourth mobile carrier, Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten is teaming up with a handful of local electric utilities to leverage the latter’s infrastructure and facilities to build its own 4G mobile network in Japan.…
In Tokyo today, Walmart president/CEO Doug McMillon and Rakuten chairman/president/CEO Hiroshi “Mickey” Mikitani announced a strategic alliance aimed at expanding consumer reach and enhancing customer service. Included in the collaboration is the launch of an…
Japanese e-commerce site Rakuten and consumer electronics retailer Bic Camera are considering a JV that will marry virtual and real stores. They expect to sign a basic agreement soon with a view to setting up their partnership early next year to work toward…
Rakuten, Inc., a global marketing partner of the National Basketball Association (NBA), today opened its pro sports merchandise store Rakuten SPORTS ZONE to further build excitement around the NBA in Japan. The store is launching with sales of limited-edition…
One of Japan’s largest online retailers has banned the sale of ivory, closing a major marketplace for the controversial trade. Rakuten is accused of being the world’s largest online retailer for elephant ivory, but will now phase out its sale. The trade is…
Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten said net income for the first-quarter of fiscal 2017 more than doubled for the three months ending March 31, on the back of a positive customer response to sales promotions and new technologies. Japan’s largest e-tailer said…
Two Japanese retail groups are about to start accepting bitcoin payments, a move that is likely to promote wider use of the virtual currency by domestic consumers. Electronics chain Bic Camera has teamed up with Tokyo-based BitFlyer, which runs the largest…