Rakuten to acquire Beauty Collection operator
Lubic Co., Ltd.

TOKYO, November 13, 2014 – Rakuten, Inc. announced today that it has acquired 100% of outstanding shares in Lubic Co., Ltd., owner of beauty portal website Beauty Collection. The acquisition price has not been made public.

Beauty Collection is a beauty portal website that hosts around 2,000 hair salons, nail salons, eyebrow salons, beauty salons and relaxation salons (as of late October 2014). Based in Osaka at the heart of the Kansai region, it has seen strong growth in salon listings since it launched its service in December 2007. To make an appointment at a salon, Beauty Collection users simply make a phone call. Meanwhile, in June 2012, Rakuten Salon was launched as a service that enables users to find a salon and make an appointment online. The business has developed on the basis of Rakuten’s strengths, such as the use of a system that enables prepayment by credit card and the earning of Rakuten Super Points on the full value of the treatment.

With the acquisition of Beauty Collection, Rakuten Salon hopes to expand from its hair salon speciality into the nail, eyebrow, beauty and relaxation salon categories. Rakuten will strive to further grow the user base and improve the convenience of the Beauty Collection and Rakuten Salon websites by harnessing their strengths, including respective customer bases and functions.

For Beauty Collection, joining Rakuten Group will expose the previously independent service to more than 95 million Rakuten Members, raising its profile and gaining it new customers. Discussions are also underway on applying Rakuten resources to the business, such as bringing it into the Rakuten Super Points program. 

Together with Lubic, Rakuten will work for the further development of the beauty industry. Aiming for the continued expansion of the Rakuten ecosystem, it will seek further partnerships with a range of internet services going forward. 

■Overview of the Beauty Collection beauty portal website
Service name: Beauty Collection
URL: http://b-colle.jp/
App: Nail & Hair
Company: Lubic Co., Ltd.
Service launched: December 2007
Outline:                
・Owns Beauty Collection, a beauty portal website that hosts around 2,000 hair salons, nail salons, eyebrow salons, beauty salons and relaxation salons (as of late October 2014)
・Based in Osaka

■Overview of Lubic
Company name: Lubic Co., Ltd.
Established: November 2007
Business activities:        
1. Owner and operator of beauty portal website Beauty Collection
2. Website development and online marketing
Headquarters:  10F, Sanei Bldg, 3-20-9 Toyosaki, Kita Ward, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture
Representative Director: CEO Keiichi Hiranuma
URL: http://b-colle.jp/company.php