7-Eleven in Japan will discontinue its 7pay cashless payment service next month. Rebuilding trust essential A security breach of the payment service after the launch on July 1 exposed user data. The retailer has decided to discontinue the service at the end of September. Following this incident, we expect new initiatives, particularly those that use technology, to be rolled-out more cautiou...

Rakuten has published its results for the six months ending June 30, with Group revenue up 14.5% to JPY586,644m (US$5.6bn) year-on-year. Internet Services revenue up 16.1% Revenue from Internet Services, Rakuten’s core business including ecommerce and travel booking services, increased 16.1% to JPY359,156m (US$3.4bn) yoy. Segment profit increased by 94.3% to JPY108,867m (US$1bn) yoy. Ini...

Tesco Lotus has partnered Shopee to launch its shop on the online platform in Thailand. Another channel to better serve customers Launched on 8 th August, Shopee users can now buy more than 10,000 items supplied by Tesco Lotus in Thailand. The online store covers more than 10 categories, including electrical appliances, fresh food, household, dry grocery, bakery and health and beauty pro...

After launching its 88 VIP membership program last year, Alibaba has added new perks and privileges to its top-tier loyalty program. New benefits for VIP members The new benefits include discounts at more online flagship stores, memberships for Alibaba’s different services, and wider access to other platforms within the Alibaba economy. The retailer has extended the 5% 88 VIP member discoun...