Yahoo Japan gets rid of fees to challenge Rakuten

e-commerce

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http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-10-07/billionaire-son-takes-on-mikitani-s-rakuten-in-e-commerce-war [businessweek.com]

Billionaire Son Takes on Mikitani’s Rakuten in E-Commerce War

Son, chairman of Yahoo Japan Corp. (4689), said yesterday the Internet search and shopping business will eliminate fees and make it easier for stores to open on its online shopping service competing with Mikitani’s Rakuten Inc. (4755), operator of the country’s largest Internet shopping mall.

The online battle for shops pits Rakuten’s customer-fee model against Son’s portal and retail site, which got more than half of its revenue last fiscal year from advertising. Investors bet the earnings of both companies will suffer, sending Rakuten shares down a record 20 percent in Tokyo trading. Yahoo Japan plunged a record 11 percent.

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That looks like a move to win market share.

[bill]

Yeah. Yahoo has fallen behind, and this is the same tactic they used to push eBay out of the Japan market.