Tokyo, 2017-Jan-24 — /EPR Retail News/ — Rakuten, Inc. and Marubeni Power Retail Corporation today (January 19, 2017) entered a comprehensive business alliance agreement on the promotion of purchases and utilization of electricity and other commodities for low-voltage power.
Through the agreement, the areas of the partnership will be expanded into the various services offered by the Rakuten Group. In addition, by leveraging the over 50 years of knowhow of the electricity business that Marubeni Power Retail has cultivated within the Marubeni Group and the strengths of Rakuten Group, such as its experience in internet services, the Rakuten Super Points loyalty program and the broad Rakuten membership base, the two companies aim to enhance their services for low-voltage power users
Rakuten and Marubeni Power Retail will launch a campaign in which users who simultaneously sign up for both Rakuten’s low-voltage power supply service, Machi Denki*1, and Rakuten Mobile, will receive 3,000 Rakuten Super Points. In addition, users who sign up for “Machi Denki” during the campaign period can receive up to 2,000 Rakuten Super Points. In order to make payment more convenient, users will have the option to pay monthly fees using Rakuten Super Points beginning with their payment for March 2017.
Since Rakuten and Marubeni Power Retail launched a business alliance in the power retail business for low-voltage users in September 2015, the two companies have been expanding the scope of their services, including power supply services under brokerage arrangements, mainly to Rakuten Ichiba merchants and low-voltage non-residential users*2, such as corporations contracting with Rakuten Communications Corporation*3. The two companies also began accepting credit card payment for low-voltage residential users*4 from November 30, 2016, and carried out a special campaign aimed at users of Rakuten Card*5. These activities have proved that the Rakuten Ecosystem model, with its single membership shared between each its services, can also be effectively utilized in the power retail market, and have prompted the two companies to conclude an agreement today to further accelerate efforts to acquire customers towards April 2017, when the gas retail market is set for liberalization, one year after the full liberalization of the power retail market.
By strengthening their partnership, Rakuten and Marubeni Power Retail will provide high value-added energy services to accommodate the diversification of customer needs resulting from the full liberalization of the electricity and gas retail markets, further contributing to the healthy competition and development of the Japanese energy market.
About Rakuten, Inc.
Name: Rakuten, Inc.
Founded: 1997
Main Businesses: Rakuten operates a wide variety of internet services, such as e-commerce, eBooks, and travel, as well as financial services. Rakuten’s energy services were established in June 2013
Head Office Location: Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
Representative: Chairman and CEO, Hiroshi Mikitani
URL: http://global.rakuten.com/corp/
About Marubeni Power Retail Corporation
Name: Marubeni Power Retail Corporation
Founded: 2011
Main Businesses:
1. Electricity trading business, and its agency and brokerage
2. Construction of power plants, electricity generation, and its agency and brokerage
Head Office Location: Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Representative: Representative Director and President, Daisuke Nishiyama
URL: https://denki.marubeni.co.jp/
*1 “Machi Denki” is the low-voltage power supply services of Rakuten’s energy business, “Rakuten Energy,” for small-scale business operators and other power users.
*2 Low-voltage non-residential users are non-residential users who sign up for low-voltage electricity.
*3 Press Release: Rakuten Communications Starts Offering Rakuten’s Power Service “Machi Denki” (Japanese)
http://corp.rakuten.co.jp/news/update/2016/1215_01.html
*4 Press Release: Rakuten Energy Starts Offering Credit Card-Based Payment for Power Rates (Japanese)
http://corp.rakuten.co.jp/news/update/2016/1130_01.html
*5 Low-voltage residential users are residential users who sign up for low-voltage electricity.
Campaign Overviews
Campaign １
Overview: Users who sign up for both “Machi Denki” and Rakuten Mobile during the campaign period and enter the campaign can receive 3,000 Rakuten Super Points
Period: 10:00 February 15, 2017, through 9:59 May 15, 2017
Campaign 2
Overview: Users who sign up for eligible “Machi Denki” plans during the campaign period, meet other conditions for participation in the campaign and enter the campaign can receive up to 2,000 Rakuten Super Points
Period: 10:00 February 6, 2017, through 1:59 March 9, 2017
Target and points:
2,000 Rakuten Super Points to users who sign up for Standard Plan 50A/60A/Premium Plan
1,000 Rakuten Super Points to users who sign up for Standard Plan 30A/40A
*For users in Kansai and Chugoku areas, 1,000 Rakuten Super Points will be awarded upon signing up to either of the Standard Plans, while 2,000 Rakuten Super Points will be awarded to those who sign up to the Premium Plan.
Eligibility: All users who sign up for “Machi Denki” during the campaign period
*For details on other conditions, please see the campaign page on the “Machi Denki” website after the campaign begins.
Source: Rakuten, Inc.
