Rakuten France and Spain to Shut Down by End of 2026
Rakuten Group has announced that its e-commerce platforms Rakuten France and Spain will officially cease operations by the end of 2026 due to the inability to find a suitable buyer. The platforms have seen a decline in traffic and customer activity in recent years, which will affect around 2,500 third-party sellers.
What are the key facts?
- 1Official closure by end of 2026
- 2Involves France and Spain sites
- 3Approximately 2,500 sellers affected
What happened?
Rakuten Group confirmed that Rakuten France (formerly PriceMinister) will shut down by the end of 2026, along with the Spanish site. Since 2016, active customers have decreased by 33%, and traffic has declined by 42%. The closure will impact about 180 employees and 2,500 third-party sellers, with the platform currently in a transition period.
What does this mean for cross-border sellers?
Sellers with business on Rakuten France or Spain should quickly initiate inventory clearing plans and seek alternative sales channels in Europe to mitigate losses from the platform closure.