Rakuten is a Japanese electronic commerce and internet company that operates a variety of internet-based businesses. It was founded in 1997 and launched its online marketplace Rakuten Ichiba that same year. Rakuten Ichiba has been successful due to its large selection of products that allows customers to easily compare prices between many merchant stores. Rakuten also employs strategies like making it easy for merchants to set up online stores and using mostly in-house developed systems to provide functionality and interfaces that are simple for merchants to use. While Rakuten's brand strength lies in its name recognition, it faces challenges from competitors in some of its newer business areas like travel and online securities.

1. Business of Rakuten
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2. Outline
● What is Rakuten
● History of Rakuten
● Distinction of Rakuten Ichiba
● Strategy of Rakuten Ichiba seen from business model
side
● Strategy of Rakuten Ichiba seen from information model
side
● Strategy of Rakuten Ichiba seen from Organization side
● Issue of Rakuten
● Reference

3. What is Rakuten
● Rakuten is providing comprehensive Internet services
such as net shopping.
● Rakuten has doing business that is roughly divided into
seven.
(EC business, Credit card business, Bank business,
Portal media business, Travel business, Securities
business, Proffessional sports business, Communications
industry)

4. History of Rakuten
February, 1997, fundation.
May, 1997, opening of Rakuten Ichiba.
June, 2010, decided to change official language to English
in-house. (This is globalization strategy.)
July, 2012, Completed change to English.

5. Distinction of Rakuten Ichiba
It have a large selection for gathering the customer. They
want to compare the price.
And many merchants open a store in the Rakuten Ichiba.
They want to open a store in the Internet mall that
gathering many users.

6. Strategy of Rakuten Ichiba
seen from business model side
Rakuten Ichiba has provided a mechanism that can open a
cyber shop it easy for anyone. And they started that in a
clear relatively inexpensive flat rate system. Thus, they took
the strategy to increase the merchant.
After that they have moved measured rate.

7. Strategy of Rakuten Ichiba
seen from information model side
They have developed in-house almost application system.
Therefore, they were able to provide function and interface
that merchants used easy, and they can become
differentiation market.
They use various OS and DBMS.

8. Strategy of Rakuten Ichiba
seen from Organization side
There are EC consultant in the production department.
System of reward of EC consultant is increases in
proportion to sales of virtual store that is responsible of him
to increase.
By means of this, There is System that tripartite among
Rakuten, merchants, and ECconsultant become Win-Win-
Win.

9. Issue of Rakuten
Rakuten’s greatest strength is the brand called by ”
rakuten”.
But, Portable site business is facing great difference
between top company. And, travel business and online
securities business are facing a hard rivalry. Like this
business should make the most of total power.

10. Reference
● http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%A5%BD%E5%A4%
A9
● http://www.waseda.jp/prj-riim/RIIM-
CaseNo7_RakutenIchiba.pdf
● http://www.japantoday.
com/category/kuchikomi/view/rakutens-decision-on-
english-not-welcomed-by-everyone