Rakuten and Seiyu Launch Japan’s First UGV Delivery Service for Shoppers

Tokyo, September 19, 2019 - Rakuten, Inc. and Seiyu GK today announced plans to launch a UGV (unmanned ground vehicle)-based delivery service in Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture. The first of its kind available to shoppers in Japan, the service will offer delivery of products from the Seiyu Livin Yokosuka Store to customers in the nearby Umikaze Park. The service will be available for a limited period, from September 21 until October 27^*1.

Visitors to Umikaze Park will be able to place orders using a dedicated smartphone app, selecting from a range of approximately 400 products carried by the Seiyu Livin Yokosuka Store, including fresh produce, other food, beverages, and first aid products. The Rakuten UGV will then deliver the products to the user’s chosen location in the park at the time specified^*2.

Like the drone delivery service successfully offered to visitors to Sarushima island in Tokyo Bay (https://global.rakuten.com/corp/news/press/2019/0617_01.html), the UGV delivery service is part of Yokosuka City’s “Yokosuka x Smart Mobility Challenge” program, which aims to utilize smart mobility to create new business opportunities and address social issues^*3.

Ahead of the full adoption of UGVs, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) is planning to set up public and private sector councils and establish standards for carrying out trials on public roads in FY2019^*4. By offering users the opportunity to experience the convenience of UGVs, and by building its own real-world expertise in the operation of UGV-based delivery services, Rakuten aims to promote the adoption of UGV delivery services across a variety of locations, including public roads.

Through innovation in drone and UGV delivery services and in the jointly-operated Rakuten Seiyu Netsuper online grocery delivery service, Rakuten and Seiyu aim to offer new accessible services and improve the shopping experience, in order to contribute to improving convenience and further enriching customer lifestyles.

*1 The service launch date may change depending on weather and other conditions.
*2 There are multiple drop off locations in the park.
*3 Reference: About the “Yokosuka x Smart Mobility Challenge”
https://www.sukamobi.com/ (Japanese only)
*4 Reference: METI “Towards the adoption of UGVs in society”
https://www.meti.go.jp/shingikai/mono_info_service/jidosoko_robot/pdf/pre_001_04.pdf (Japanese only)

Period of operation: Deliveries on weekends from Sept. 21 – Oct. 27
* Orders will be accepted from 8:00 a.m. on the service days. A maximum of 12 deliveries are planned to be made per day.
* The dates the service is available may change due to operational circumstances.

How to order: Download the “Rakuten Drone” app and login with a Rakuten membership ID. Select the desired products from the approximately 400 products available. Specify the location and time for the delivery and pay with “Rakuten Pay (online payment).” The status of the delivery can be checked through the app. A push alert will be displayed once the product arrives. Input the code in the push alert into the touch panel on the rear of the UGV to receive the delivery.

Delivery fee: 300 yen (tax included)
* Cost of products will be charged separately.

Main products available: Meat, vegetables, beverages, consumables, first aid products
* Operation of the service will be suspended in bad weather. Users can check if the service is operating through the app.

Implementing companies: Rakuten, Inc. and Seiyu GK

Implementation coordinator: Triangle Co., Ltd.


About Seiyu
Seiyu operates retail chain stores nationwide from Hokkaido to Kyushu, selling fresh food, groceries, apparel, general merchandise and other products. As part of our commitment to customers "to deliver needed goods every day, whether in our store and also online, at unbeatable prices and reliable quality, in order to win the trust of consumers," we provide a shopping opportunity based on four principles: “Price Leadership”, “Quality and Freshness”, “Product Variety” and “Convenience”. In addition, we are fully leveraging the global network and large scale of our parent company, Walmart Inc., to provide a shopping experience that is well suited to the tastes and needs of Japanese customers.

About Rakuten
Rakuten, Inc. (TSE: 4755) is a global leader in internet services that empower individuals, communities, businesses and society. Founded in Tokyo in 1997 as an online marketplace, Rakuten has expanded to offer services in e-commerce, fintech, digital content and communications to more than 1.2 billion members around the world. The Rakuten Group has over 17,000 employees, and operations in 30 countries and regions. For more information visit https://global.rakuten.com/corp/.