Yahoo was once the go to platform on the Internet but lost the search game to Google and Ecommerce to just about everyone from Amazon to Rakutan and Alibaba. Now, at least in Japan, they are aiming to accelerate their ecommmerce footprint with the launch of PayPay Mall.
The name comes from Yahoo’s PayPay smartphone payment app which launched a year ago in October 2018 and now boasts around 12.5 million subscribers. This will provide a springboard for the new marketplace with special offers and advertising campaigns running across both platforms.
Lessons are being copied from the success of Alibaba with PayPay Flea already launched in Japan, and somewhat similar to Taobao in China. PayPay Mall will be more similar to Alibaba’s Tmall with retailers charged to operate a store on the platform.
“PayPay Mall is essentially a Yahoo Japan business. This business will create a direct sales mall which mainly uses PayPay for payments. Since the business uses the PayPay brand, there will be possibilities for various collaborations, including campaigns with PayPay.”
– Softbank
Delivery and service will be key metrics Yahoo will look at when considering retailer and brand applications to sell on PayPay Mall.
Online Japanese fashion retailer Zozo is said to be one of the first likely to feature on PayPay Mall, which isn’t a great surprise as Yahoo Japan announced their intention to acquire Zozo for 400 billion yen.
