Rakuten SuccessStory

Based out of Tokyo, Rakuten aims at becoming the no 1 internet services company in the world. The brand exercises long term mission of empowering people and society through internet. The company introduced itself to the world with the internet shopping mall, “Rakuten Ichiba”. At the time of establishment, most online shopping sites were online web catalogs and few people had just begun to buy things on the internet. In the beginning, the team decided to start small staffed only 6 employees and 13 merchants. Mikitani had a simple business plan which was to offer small merchants a chance to set up online shops through Rakuten. They would be charged a fixed monthly fee and would have to pay extra if they desired for advertising and promotional activities.

Rakuten focuses on being diverse and offers its customers a unique shopping experience. Mikitani said that it took a personal meeting with a farmer who wanted to sell organic eggs in order to open his eyes to the importance of being diverse. He was initially against the idea, but was won over when he saw how customers became eager to purchase the eggs after viewing quality tests. An online diary also showed how the chicks were cared for.

Today, Rakuten is a leading B2B and B2C ecommerce site. Rakuten Ichiba is the largest in Japan and ranks top in global sales. The company had diversified into e-money, banking, credit cards, securities, eBooks, online marketing, professional sports, portal media and travel.

Mikitani recognised the value of communication and connection in today’s world. According to him, what differentiates Rakuten from Amazon and other ecommerce giants is the principle of ‘Omotenashi’- high quality and personalised service. He says that hospitality has always been a part of Japan’s heritage and built his company to reflect the same.