Rakuten, Seiyu open online grocery store

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Rakuten Inc and Seiyu GK on Thursday announced the grand opening of Rakuten Seiyu Netsuper, an online grocery delivery service jointly operated by both companies.

Rakuten Seiyu Netsuper is a jointly-operated online grocery delivery service that combines Rakuten’s roughly 99 million-strong membership base and proficiency in e-commerce along with Seiyu’s extensive experience in the sale of fresh food and other supermarket operational experience cultivated over the years by operating its physical stores. The service offers many advantages, including a wide array of merchandise backed by a robust delivery service designed to meet the changing needs of customers in Japan. It is also linked with the Rakuten ID system.

In addition to the fresh produce and daily necessities that showcase Seiyu’s core competitive strengths of “quality” and “low prices,” the service also offers a rich lineup of convenient items such as cut vegetables, partially-prepared food, and ready-meal kits that serve the needs of customers increasingly short on time. It also offers local gourmet products from merchants on the Rakuten Ichiba marketplace, as well as organic vegetables and salads from the Rakuten Ragri agricultural service, for a total of approximately 20,000 products. The meal kits will also offer products jointly developed with the Rakuten Mama-wari membership program aimed at mothers and fathers who are currently raising children.

In addition to deliveries from Seiyu stores, the service will also begin offering deliveries from the dedicated Rakuten Seiyu Netsuper fulfillment center in Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture, as well as a number of delivery bases located around Tokyo. The dedicated fulfillment center is fully-equipped with refrigeration and freezer facilities, and can store products in three temperature ranges: at room temperature, chilled, and frozen. By using delivery bases with the dedicated fulfillment center as a hub, the service is able to maximize the number of orders it can handle, enabling the delivery of fresh food and other products at the customer’s requested time.

Linkage with Rakuten ID

Rakuten Seiyu Netsuper is linked to the Rakuten ID system. This allows customers with a Rakuten ID to use the information registered with their account, such as their address and credit card information, when shopping on the service. Customers are also able to earn and use Rakuten Super Points on the service.

Due to the growing number of dual-income households and other lifestyle shifts, the domestic online grocery store market in Japan is continuing to expand. However, existing businesses have not been able to keep up with the growing demand for fulfillment capacity and product selection. Through the Rakuten Seiyu Netsuper service, the two companies aim to become the leading online grocery service provider by thoroughly and thoughtfully responding to the needs of Japanese customers.

This service is part of a strategic alliance announced by Rakuten and Walmart Inc. in January 2018. The eBook service Walmart eBooks by Rakuten Kobo was launched in the United States on August 22, 2018.

Additionally, Rakuten and Seiyu will hold a limited “Rakuten Ichiba Food Selection” event at 115 Seiyu stores starting on November 1. The collaborative event will feature gourmet food available on Rakuten Ichiba.