Rakuten Launches Cross-Border E-Commerce Subsidiary in Hangzhou to Step Up Merchant Recruitment and Operational Support for Chinese Sellers

[Ebrun Exclusive] September 17 — Japanese conglomerate Rakuten Group announced yesterday that it has established Rakuten Cross-Border E-Commerce (China) Co., Ltd. in Hangzhou, a new entity designed to support Chinese merchants in onboarding to its Japanese e-commerce marketplace Rakuten Ichiba and managing their subsequent store operations, as part of its broader push to expand cross-border e-commerce operations.

Prior to the launch, Rakuten provided onboarding and operational services for Chinese sellers through its group subsidiary Shanghai Shuangkuai E-Commerce Co., Ltd. and its Shenzhen branch. The new Hangzhou-based company will build on existing services for merchants in South China, while rounding out its support network to cover sellers in East China, North China and Central China.

Services offered by the new entity will span pre-onboarding consulting, store setup, marketing promotion and ongoing operational support. Before merchants join the platform, Rakuten will host seminars to walk sellers through Japanese market characteristics, local business practices and consumer trends. After onboarding, merchants will be assigned bilingual (Chinese-Japanese) e-commerce operations consultants to provide dedicated store operation support.

In addition, the new company will launch a merchant support center in Hangzhou to deliver e-commerce operation training. It will also leverage flagship platform marketing campaigns including Rakuten Super Sale and Shopping Marathon to help merchants boost brand exposure and drive repeat customer purchases.

Rakuten disclosed that as of 2025, the number of overseas merchants on Rakuten Ichiba has surpassed 1,000, hailing from markets including China, South Korea and the United States. Between 2020 and 2025, the gross merchandise value (GMV) generated by overseas sellers recorded a compound annual growth rate of over 30%. Chinese merchants, whose core offerings focus on small home appliances and outdoor products, have been the primary growth driver of Rakuten’s cross-border e-commerce business.

Beyond services tied to Rakuten Ichiba, the new subsidiary will also participate in planning and merchant support for Rakuyoko, the group’s new platform launched this August targeting younger consumers with a focus on value-priced goods.

Zhou Yang, representative of the new Hangzhou company, noted that Rakuten first launched relevant business operations in Shanghai in 2011, before expanding its operational footprint to Shenzhen. The launch of the new Hangzhou entity will further upgrade its service system to support Chinese merchants in tapping into the Japanese market.

This article was first published on the official website of Ebrun.