Rakuten France shuts its marketplace after 26 years. About 180 jobs go

Rakuten France, the marketplace that began life as PriceMinister, stopped taking orders at midnight on 30 September. The Japanese group also shut the Spanish platform that shares the same set-up. About 180 staff are affected, according to French trade magazine Ecommerce Mag.

Rakuten France lost a third of its customers in ten years

Management told staff that customer numbers fell 33% over the past decade and traffic fell 42%. The company blamed cheaper international marketplaces. It looked for a buyer but said no offer met its tests on jobs, money and continuity. French electronics retailer Pixmania made an approach and was turned down.

PriceMinister launched in 2000. Rakuten bought it in 2010 and dropped the old name in 2018.

Sellers have until 10 November to withdraw their balances

The site still loads but no longer sells anything, MacGeneration reported. Shoppers and sellers can log in until 10 November to download their history. Sellers must ask for any money left in their Rakuten wallet before that date. Claims about orders placed before the shutdown will be handled under the old terms.

Kobo, Rakuten TV and Viber stay open in Europe

The closure only covers the marketplace. Rakuten keeps its Kobo e-readers, Rakuten TV and the Viber messaging app. The group employs more than 25,000 people in over 30 countries.

The shutdown comes as Asian platforms gain ground in Europe, although not evenly: Shein’s European sales fell 13.9% last quarter. Local players are also cutting back, with Zalando closing its Erfurt hub this month.

The 180 staff in France and Spain lose the most. Sellers who relied on the site lose a sales channel and have six weeks to take their money out.