Rakuten has announced this Monday the start of a commercial campaign in Spain based on direct reimbursement for purchases, which wants to reactivate its presence in the market. The measure aims according to company sources “grow aggressively in Spain in the face of the boom in electronic commerce, which has increased by almost 15% year-on-year in billing”. The income obtained can transfer to bank account of the members of the program or to a PayPal account. The ‘cashback’ too can be converted into Rakuten points with a 20% value increase and redeem them for gift cards, Rakuten TV movies, Kobo e-books and audiobooks, and Viber credit. The omnicanality reaches discounts and ‘online’ promotions.
Loyalty programs have always been the great asset of success for Rakuten in Japan and wants to replicate the strategy in Europe. Spain must be a bridgehead and testing ground. The idea is to return part of the purchases made in more than 700 online stores in cash. Usually between 1% and 8% is returned to the buyer of the amount of the purchase in online stores such as El Corte Inglés (including the supermarket), AliExpress, Booking.com, La Redoute, Media Market, Fnac or Nike, although the rebates may be higher on some websites. Refunds can be transferred to the users bank account or their PayPal account.
Rakuten’s is one of the biggest promotional initiatives in memory. The example of the success of Black Friday and Aliexpress’s single day opens new strategies in a market that already moves 55,000 million euros a year in Spain, according to the National Commission of the Competition Market (CNMC). Rakuten landed in Spain in 2013, and its popularity among the general public grew as a result of its sponsorship of FC Barcelona, which has lasted until 2022. In Spain there is also the headquarters of Rakuten TV for Europe, which in turn is also in rapid expansionwith agreements for example with Orange.
Until now, by shopping through Rakuten.es, users could earn up to 30% in Rakuten points and exchange them for gift cards, the latest movie releases on Rakuten TV, books through Kobo or credit in the Viber messaging app. Out. But now, with Rakuten, users will recover money from their purchases, returning up to 30% of the order amount in euros. Rakuten has paid almost 3,700 million dollars of cashback to its users in the US.
To access the discounts and cash back you need to log in or register at Rakuten.es. You receive back up to 30% of the total amount of the purchase. Once the transaction is confirmed, the user will be able to withdraw the money to their PayPal account or bank account, or convert it into Rakuten points with a value increase of 20% to exchange them for gift cards and other Rakuten services. If you install the Rakuten browser extension the user is informed of the ‘cashback’ available.
What started as a marketplace in Japan has grown into a diverse group of “constantly evolving” online servicesexplained in a statement Toby Otsuka, CEO of Rakuten Europe. “By introducing cashback in Europe, we are convinced that we will not only attract more members, but also offer them a more flexible rewards system that adapts to their purchasing habits,” said Otsuka.
The strategy in Spain is inspired by the business practices followed in Japan. In that case, Rakuten rewarded its members with more than 2.5 billion points (worth $23 billion). Awarding points in addition to cash is key in this loyalty object.
Founded in Tokyo in 1997 as a marketplace, Rakuten has expanded to offer e-commerce services, financial technology, digital content and communications to approximately 1.6 billion members worldwide. The Rakuten Group has more than 28,000 employees and operates in 30 countries and regions. Its business units offer 14 services, available in almost all European countries. With Rakuten Europe headquarters in Luxembourg and offices in London, Dublin, Paris, Berlin, Barcelona and other major European cities.