Rakuten has expanded its loyalty programme to third party retailers, with the effect that Rakuten Super Points can now be earned at partners including Waterstones, Zavvi, TK Maxx, Asos and more than 200 other retailers when shopping through Rakuten.co.uk.
Customers in the UK and Spain will be able to collect and use points towards purchases at third-party retailers. UK shoppers can then use those points to buy credit to use both online and offline at retailers including Tesco, M&S, Currys.
Rakuten first introduced its global loyalty rewards programme, Rakuten Super Points, 15 years ago it has proven a success in its Japanese home market, where it has become the most used loyalty point scheme.
Now the Rakuten loyalty programme in the UK and Spain is enabling customers to earn points at more than 200 leading UK retailers including Waterstones, ASOS, TK Maxx and Zavvi, when shopping through Rakuten.co.uk, or Desigual, Fnac and Rumbo and others through Rakuten.es.
Up until now, points could be redeemed against various Rakuten services including content on Rakuten TV and Rakuten Kobo, as well as Viber Out calls with Rakuten Viber. As part of the programme’s expansion, Super Points can now also be redeemed for shop credit that can be used online and in-store at a number of leading retailers including Tesco, Marks & Spencer, Currys, TK Maxx and Zavvi.
“Rakuten is a membership company and Rakuten Super Points are at its centre. Each Rakuten service owes a large part of its success to being part of the bigger Rakuten ecosystem and its over 1 billion members”, said Arjen van de Vall, president Europe at Rakuten . “In Europe, this ecosystem will also be our key to success, and by opening up our loyalty scheme to third party retailers, we are taking a major step towards that.”
The expansion of the loyalty programme comes as Rakuten becomes the main global partner and first global innovation and entertainment partner of football team FC Barcelona.
