Rakuten Rakuma Expands into U.S. Market with Full-Scale Launch of Cross-Border Sales on eBay

Rakuten Rakuma, the Rakuten Group’s community-powered marketplace app, announced that the full-scale launch of cross-border sales on eBay USA will begin in late February, enabling shoppers in the United States to purchase pre-loved fashion products from Rakuma Official Shops.

The initiative, called the Rakuma Overseas Omakase Plan, is now open to applications from Rakuma Official Shop owners. Products listed under the plan will be covered by eBay Authenticity Guarantee, introduced in 2020, which offers free appraisals for brand-name products. Initially available for handbags, the appraisal service will gradually expand to other categories. Additionally, with the introduction of eBay Authenticity Guarantee, the price cap for items listed in the handbag category will be removed, encouraging merchants to list even more high-value products.

Rakuma began trialing cross-border sales with eBay in May 2024, starting with seven Rakuma Official Shops. The trial, aiming to expand customer channels for Rakuma Official Shops and promote merchants’ international sales, has since grown to over 30 shops listing products on eBay.

According to eBay Japan’s July-September 2024 annual sales figures for Japanese merchants, the "Women’s Apparel & Bag Brand Accessories" and "Watches, Parts & Accessories" categories remained the top performers, consistent with the same period last year and April-June 2024^*1. Taking this development into account, Rakuten Rakuma will focus on listing products in the fashion category for this plan and gradually expand into additional items.

“We are thrilled to officially launch cross-border sales with eBay, bringing the quality of used-in-Japan fashion items to shoppers in the United States,” said Kenichiro Hasegawa, General Manager at Rakuten Rakuma. “The growth and positive feedback during the trial phase underscore the global appeal of Rakuma’s selection of pre-loved fashion. This marks an exciting step towards our aim of expanding business opportunities for Rakuma Official Shops, and we look forward to further growing this initiative for US shoppers and Rakuma Official Shop owners in the future.”

Together, Rakuten Rakuma and eBay are committed to realizing an innovative e-commerce platform that delivers unparalleled convenience and value for both consumers and business customers alike.

Service Overview
Application start date: February 7, 2025
Service start date: Late February 2025 (tentative)
Overview: Rakuten Rakuma to list select products from Rakuma Official Shops on ebay.com
Website: ebay.com
Applicable shops: Rakuma Official Shops
Conditions for listing: Used goods and fashion items (including women’s and men’s clothing, watches, jewelry, shoes, leather accessories, bags, kimonos, etc.), items not prohibited by the Washington Convention (CITES) or eBay, and other items that meet the standards set by Rakuten Rakuma
Application conditions: Applicants must not currently have a store on eBay, must be linked with the Rakuma Official Shop API, and must have operated their Rakuma Official Shop for more than 3 months, etc.
Application Method: Applications can be submitted through the dedicated form for Rakuma Official Shop store owners
Rakuten Rakuma’s linked eBay store URL: https://www.ebay.com/str/rakutenrakumajapan02
For inquiries regarding the Rakuma Official Shops, please visit:
https://fril.jp/ts/official/shopopen/ (*Japanese page)

eBay
eBay Inc. (Nasdaq: EBAY) is a global commerce leader that connects people and builds communities to create economic opportunity for all. Our technology empowers millions of buyers and sellers in more than 190 markets around the world, providing everyone the opportunity to grow and thrive. Founded in 1995 in San Jose, California, eBay is one of the world’s largest and most vibrant marketplaces for discovering great value and unique selection. In 2023, eBay enabled more than $73 billion of gross merchandise volume. For more information about the company and its global portfolio of online brands, visit www.ebayinc.com

eBay Japan
As a Japanese subsidiary of eBay Inc., we provide cross-border EC support for Japanese sellers through the online marketplace "eBay".  (https://www.ebay.co.jp/)

About Rakuten Rakuma
Launched in February 2018, Rakuten Rakuma was created when Frill, the first consumer commerce app in Japan which launched in July 2012, merged with the Rakuten Group-operated service Rakuma. By expanding the circular economy where products are passed on rather than thrown away and creating a world of e-commerce that is easy for everyone to use, Rakuten Rakuma intends to drive the growth of the circulation market and contribute to the creation of a circular society.

Notes
*1 Source: "eBay Japan 2024 Q3 Cross-Border EC Report"
https://www.ebay.co.jp/release/20241129/ (*Japanese page)

*Please note that the information contained in press releases is current as of the date of release.