Rakuten, one of the most popular network marketplaces, has announced plans to refocus its European operations and close the marketplaces UK and Spain in its new strategic plan that aims to improve conditions in its operating to put the bulk of their investment in the two most promising for the company European countries: France and Germany, as echoed in ADSLZone.

This therefore closes the door to continue investing in growth for the Spanish and British market, other competitors like Amazon or Ebay have larger share and more number of sales that the Japanese company, although in recent years has grown more than interesting in these markets, although it seems that investments to encourage such growth was not sustainable in the long term.

Your departure of the Spanish market leaves more quota available to Amazon and eBay Rakuten ensures that the closures in both markets be held at the end of August , subject to the completion of the consultation process with the affected employees and the relevant legal proceedings. However, despite the closure of the marketplaces, Rakuten will keep its portfolio of digital content such as Wuaki and Kobo, messaging platform Viber and core business of Rakuten marketing operating in Europe.

The output of Rakuten Spanish and British market is certainly open to Amazon to continue monopolizing the market door, something that certainly is not good for healthy competition in a market with competitors on equal opportunity and volume.

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