Rakuten has entered a capital and business alliance agreement to acquire shares in online restaurant search site Gurunavi in Japan.
The transaction value is $20.94m and shares are owned by Gurunavi representative director and chairman Hisao Taki, which will be transferred to Rakuten on 22 August.
Following the transaction, the restaurant search site’s member systems and customer loyalty programmes will be integrated with Rakuten.
In addition, the ecommerce major will promote the online reservation service of Gurunavi among Rakuten users, as well as offer Rakuten card and Rakuten Pay as a payment option at the restaurant search site’s member restaurants.
Under the agreement, both companies agreed to explore opportunities to enhance and expand their respective businesses through other partnerships and sales promotion initiatives based on their brand reputation and accumulation of data.
The agreement will also include the appointment of one person from Rakuten as a director of Gurunavi.
Gurunavi is an online restaurant search site that offers a range of management support services with a focus on sales promotion for restaurant owners.
Through its team of 1,000 employees, the company provides information enabling customers to enjoy eating-out or dining-out experiences.
Furthermore, the restaurant search site offers support service and solutions to the various problems faced by restaurant owners, developing a platform for customers and establishing a new business for non-everyday occasions such as travel and going out.
