U. S. retail giant Walmart and Japanese internet titan Rakuten have unveiled a strategic partnership which will include collaboration on digital books in the United States and grocery delivery in Japan. The two firms will launch a new online grocery delivery service in Japan later this year, and have agreed
U. S. retail giant Walmart and Japanese internet titan Rakuten have unveiled a strategic partnership which will include collaboration on digital books in the United States and grocery delivery in Japan.
The two firms will launch a new online grocery delivery service in Japan later this year, and have agreed to a retail alliance making Walmart a key partner on e-books and audiobooks using the Rakuten format Kobo.
The deal comes amid a growing international presence by U. S. online giant Amazon, which offers an array of services in different countries including video, e-books and grocery delivery.
« Rakuten is a strong e-commerce business and we’re excited to collaborate with the top online shopping destination in Japan, » said Walmart chief executive Doug McMillon, who met Rakuten CEO Hiroshi Mikitani in Tokyo to sign the agreement.
