Retailer Carrefour has announced plans to open a 'virtual store' on the Rakuten marketplace in April, in a partnership that will enable the two players to 'strengthen their omnichannel strategies and customer loyalty', Carrefour said in a statement.
The Rakuten marketplace boasts around 15 million visitors per month, using its ecosystem of services to boost online sales.
'Partnership Vision'
“We are happy to welcome Carrefour on to our shopping platform," commented Fabien Versavau, CEO of Rakuten France and executive officer, Rakuten Group. "We share a partnership vision of commerce and wish to combine our expertise with that of brands and retailers, in order to bring about sustainable and inclusive digitalisation at the service of consumers."
Through the partnership, consumers will be able to access Carrefour's products on the Rakuten site, while by joining Rakuten's 'Club R' loyalty programme, they will be able to avail of offers between 5% and 35%, all year round.
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'A Key Multi-Channel Player'
“This new 100% virtual store, which we have opened on the Rakuten platform, helps to strengthen our position as a key multi-channel player," added Elodie Perthuisot, executive director, e-commerce, data and digital transformation, Carrefour Group.
"As in the physical world, where we open stores in shopping malls, we will be able to rely on the site and Rakuten traffic to increase our presence with customers.”
Rakuten was founded in Japan in 1997 as a marketplace for both professionals and individuals. It offers a range of 70 digital services in areas such as e-commerce, telecommunications, fintech, and AI.
In France, Rakuten is a general shopping platform that sells new, used, and refurbished products. Rakuten France also supports over 10,000 professional sellers and partners in their digitalisation through its online services, including its Rakuten Fulfillment Network, launched in 2022.
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