Walmart and Rakuten officially opened the first Walmart e-commerce store in Japan, titled the ‘Walmart Rakuten Ichiba Store’. This flagship store offers 1,200 of Walmart’s U.S. branded products to Japanese consumers, with orders set to be fulfilled in the United States and air freighted to Japan. “Walmart is committed to providing a trusted retail experience in Japan and we are always looking for new ways to better serve consumers here as their lifestyles and needs change,” said Nathan Kring, Senior Vice President of Walmart International. “Through Seiyu, we have an in-depth understanding of this fast-changing market. The carefully curated assortment being offered on our flagship store reflects this insight and our ongoing dedication to Japanese shoppers”.
THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN WALMART AND RAKUTEN
The digital store is part of a partnership between Walmart and Rakuten announced in January of this year. By leveraging both of their strengths, the two companies seek to expand consumer reach in both Japan and the United States. Walmart plans to expand its product range and add new product categories from its international assortment to the store. Walmart’s Japanese subsidiary, Seiyu GK, will provide customer support for the store. “We are very excited to be working with Walmart to bring a diverse product lineup of American brands at affordable prices to Rakuten Ichiba users in Japan,” commented Shunsuke Yazawa, Executive Officer and Vice President of Marketplace Business at Rakuten. In the coming future, Walmart could be implementing this new store format in the U.S. as well.