NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rakuten LinkShare today reported strong demand for its performance market...

1. Rakuten LinkShare Reports Strong Q2 Demand for Affiliate
Marketing Services and Solutions in the US, Canada, UK and
Japan
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rakuten LinkShare today reported strong demand for its
performance marketing software and services and continued growth throughout its global network
for the second quarter of 2012. Along with signing new advertisers, the company also reported
strong same-store sales in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Japan.
In the US, same-store sales far outpaced overall e-commerce growth. According to comScore, overall
e-commerce increased by 15 percent1 in the US in the second quarter of 2012 while same store
sales in the Rakuten LinkShare network increased by 29 percent year-over-year for the same period.
Rakuten LinkShare's UK network also saw significant gains with overall same-store sales increasing
65 percent year-over-year. This compares to an overall industry increase of 1.6 percent in UK retail
sales for the quarter2.
The Rakuten LinkShare network also reported a significant increase in newly signed or launched
brands and new publishers across all geographic markets including the US, Canada, UK and Japan.
More than 100 brands were signed in the second quarter along with thousands of new publishers.
The newly signed brands represent significant commission opportunities for publishers across a
broad range of product categories including apparel, luxury, electronics and other consumer goods.
"Joining the Rakuten LinkShare network was a strategic decision as we seek to expand our online
presence and drive more sales through the affiliate channel," said Matt Wilkerson, co-founder and
vice president of corporate development, AHAlife.com. "As we gear up for what we believe will be
another record-breaking holiday season, the Rakuten LinkShare network will be a key part of our
strategy for achieving our objectives."
With consumers becoming more
comfortable buying from online
retailers based in other countries,
advertisers are increasing their
investments in global e-commerce and
expanding their reach to include a
broader set of publishers. Rakuten
LinkShare will continue to
accommodate advertisers' and
publishers' needs by expanding its
network and entering new markets.
"Online retailers are now finding new
customers and driving sales around the world," said Yaz Iida, chief executive officer, Rakuten

2. LinkShare. "As consumer trends and tastes become more global, part of our mission will be to help
advertisers and publishers create new partnerships in new markets as they increase their global e-commerce
capabilities."
About Rakuten LinkShare Corporation
Rakuten LinkShare Corporation provides e-commerce businesses with a vast, high quality pay per
action marketing network, along with expert consultative services and patented technology. Rakuten
LinkShare's cost-efficient pay per action (PPA) affiliate network, search marketing and lead
generation campaigns acquire new customers, increase revenue and drive results. Rakuten
LinkShare clients are Fortune 500 and prominent companies doing business online, including J.C.
Penney, 1-800-Flowers.com, American Express and Avon Products. LinkShare was founded in 1996
and is headquartered in New York City, with offices in San Francisco, Chicago, Tampa, London and
Tokyo. For more information, please visit: www.linkshare.com.
About Rakuten
Rakuten, Inc. (JASDAQ:4755), is one of the world's leading Internet service companies, providing a
variety of consumer- and business-focused services including e-commerce, e-reading, travel,
banking, securities, credit card, e-money, portal and media, online marketing and professional
sports. Rakuten is expanding globally and currently has operations throughout Asia, Western
Europe, and the Americas. Founded in 1997, Rakuten is headquartered in Tokyo, with over 10,000
employees and partner staff worldwide. For more information, visit http://global.rakuten.com/group.
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