Rakuten Launches Same-Day Delivery Service December 18

TOKYO, Japan - Rakuten Group Corporation said Tuesday it will start a delivery service for daily necessities and small electronics on Dec. 18.

The service, called Rakuten 24 Express, will offer about 13,000 products at launch, including detergents, cosmetics, mobile batteries and electric toothbrushes.

Orders placed by 1 p.m. in Tokyo's 23 wards will be delivered the same day, while orders after that time will arrive the following day. In other regions, orders placed by 2 p.m. will be delivered the next day, and orders after 2 p.m. will arrive two days later.

The service excludes Hokkaido, Nagasaki, Oita, Miyazaki, Kagoshima, and Okinawa prefectures.

Shipping is free on orders of JPY 1,980 (US$12.78) or more. Okinawa, remote islands, and certain areas are excluded. Contactless delivery is standard.

The service begins at 10 a.m. on Dec. 18 and will replace Rakuten Sokuhai Mart, which started in November 2023.

A campaign will run from Dec. 18 through Dec. 31. A JPY 500 (US$3.23) discount coupon for purchases of JPY 1,980 or more requires adding the official LINE account.

A JPY 200 (US$1.29) discount coupon will be available for select products. The number of available coupons and usage conditions is on the campaign page.

A television commercial featuring comedian Shingo Fujimori will begin airing Dec. 16, with behind-the-scenes footage and an interview video to be released online.