Just last month, the Japanese marketplace Rakuten wanted to launch a major marketing campaign in Germany, France and the UK. Now, however, the company has announced that it intends to tear down its tents in Germany in mid-October.
Affected business areas
After Rakuten.de however not all business fields are to be affected. Germany is not the first country in which Rakuten tears off its bridges. Some other country subsidiaries have already been closed.
Almost 10 years have passed and yet Rakuten.de could never really assert itself on the German market. The platform offered more than 21 million products at more than 5500 different dealers, but always only made it to fifth place among the marketplaces in Germany. This took Rakuten.de to the cause here a cut to make.
The trading partners of Rakuten.de shall be supported in their business operations until mid October 2020. However, customers are already advised to order directly from the respective dealer.
Superpoints
The superpoints from Rakuten.de should be used now if possible. Whereby the other areas of Rakuten are not affected. Here the points can still be used.
The enterprise speaker explained in reference to the superpoints also, which they want to offer an option, with which the points can be converted into gift cards. This should be possible for brands like Media Markt, Douglas or Ikea.
What remains..
The Rakuten Group continues to offer Rakuten TV, Tolino, Rakuten Advertising and Rakuten Viber in Germany.
The step of the entrepreneurial group brings unfortunately also dismissals with itself. From which numbers can be proceeded here, is unfortunately not clear. Rakuten.de wants to stand for the coworkers and woman employees however to the side and support these with the search for a new job. The Japanese marketplace also wants to pay severance packages above the usual market requirements to its employees.
What’s next?
The President of Rakuten Europe Arjen van De Vall promises that “Other companies in the Rakuten Group will continue to have a strong presence and growth prospects in Germany”. “Especially the digital content sector with services like Rakuten TV and Tolino, services like Rakuten Viber and the adtech business Rakuten Advertising are worth mentioning. In addition, we are striving to replicate the success of our Japanese banking and mobile business here in Europe, building on the experience gained in Japan”.
So we are curious what else will come from Rakuten Group in the future.