TOKYO, November 6, 2012 – Rakuten, Inc. today announcedthat it will open a new Rakuten Fulfillment Center in Ichikawa City, Chiba Prefecture in 2014, in order to strengthen and increase the scope of its logistics services in Japan.
This new Rakuten Fulfillment Center will be located inside the Ichikawa Shiohama Project (tentative), a large multi-tenant logistics facility jointly developed by logistics facility provider Global Logistic Properties Co., Ltd. and Mitsui Fudousan Co., Ltd. With a total floor area of approximately 42 thousand square meters, the Center will serve as a strategic logistics hub for Rakuten’s e-commerce business in East Japan, including its Internet shopping mall Rakuten Ichiba.
Rakuten is also examining ways to utilize the industry-leading technologies and know-how of French major logistics provider Alpha Direct Services (ADS), which Rakuten plans on making into a subsidiary. Rakuten will take steps to enhance the quality of its Rakuten Super Logistics total fulfillment service for Rakuten Ichiba merchants by optimizing every phase of its e-commerce logistics.
Rakuten opened its first fulfillment center in Ichikawa City in 2010, and plans on opening a new fulfillment center in Kawanishi City, Hyogo Prefecture in 2013. Going forward, Rakuten will expand the number of its fulfillment centers to establish a high quality logistics service system utilizing advanced technologies and expertise.