TOKYO, March 18, 2013 – Rakuten Inc. announced today that it will begin sales of fresh Hokkaido seafood to customers in Hong Kong from today, March 18, through Rakuten Global Market (https://global.rakuten.com/en/), the international shipping services site for its Rakuten Ichiba internet shopping mall.
Rakuten launched Rakuten Global Market services through Rakuten Ichiba in 2008, and today, nearly 7,000 of the 40,000 merchants on Rakuten Ichiba are able to sell and ship goods to customers living outside of Japan. Since 2008, Rakuten Global Market has sold a wide range of goods, including fashion items, accessories, toys and games, to customers in more than 200 countries around the world.
Rakuten Global Market offered international frozen shipping of fresh seafood to customers outside of Japan for the first time in January 2013, and this time around represents the second installment of this service. Rakuten is undertaking this international frozen shipping project in a partnership with its logistics subsidiary Rakuten Logistics, Inc. The initiative uses a logistics model that takes full advantage of the speed delivery services of Yamato Transport Co., Ltd. and All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd. (ANA) for locations around Asia from their jointly operated distribution hub in Okinawa prefecture. Leveraging ANA’s sizable air transport network and late night arrivals to Okinawa as well as Yamato Transport’s 24-hour customs clearance capabilities and bonded warehouses in international logistics zones, the service is able to offer next-day international express parcel deliveries to Taiwan, Singapore, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Malaysia and other parts of Asia.
This second installment will be limited to fresh Hokkaido seafood and targets high net worth individuals in Hong Kong and Japanese expatriates because of strong demand for fresh crab, prawn, squid and scallops from Japan. Rakuten Logistics will collect all orders from Rakuten Ichiba merchants by the end of March and then ship and deliver products to customers in Hong Kong by around April 5 using frozen shipments via Yamato Transport and ANA’s logistics network.
Going forward, Rakuten plans on using this same international frozen shipping initiative to ship a variety of fresh food products made in Japan to customers around the world through Rakuten Global Market.
■□ Outline of International Small Lot Frozen Delivery Services for Hong Kong □■
■URL:
https://global.rakuten.com/zh-tw/event/food/gourmet/ (Traditional Chinese)
https://global.rakuten.com/en/event/food/gourmet/ (English)
https://global.rakuten.com/zh-tw/event/food/gourmet/ (Japanese)
■Participating merchants:
Hokkaido-omiyage (https://www.rakuten.co.jp/hokkaido-omiyage/)
REBUNESE Co., Ltd. (https://www.rakuten.ne.jp/gold/rebun/)
Gift & Gourmet Hokkaido (https://www.rakuten.co.jp/hokkaido-gourmation/)
Kitauroko (https://www.rakuten.co.jp/kitauroko/index.html)
Kanisho (https://www.rakuten.co.jp/marukai/news.html)
Sapporo Kanihan (https://www.rakuten.co.jp/kanihan/)
■Eligible products:
Crabs, prawns, squid, scallops, fresh fish, etc.
■Target customers :
Customers in Hong Kong (high net worth individuals and Japanese expatriates)
■Period:
March 18 to March 31
■Delivery method:
Orders from Hong Kong during the above period will be gathered, and then sent and distributed via frozen shipment using the international and domestic Japanese logistics networks of Yamato Transport.
■Delivery period:
Around April 5