The Japanese unit of Amazon.com is considering launching a virtual shopping mall, in a bid to snatch a share of the growing market from Web mall operators Rakuten, and Yahoo Japan, a Reuters report said.
The Reuters report, quoting the Yomiuri daily, said Amazon Japan, which currently sells goods directly to consumers via its Web site, planned to start a virtual mall later this year to allow retailers to sell products such as clothes and food on its site.
The Reuters report said Japan's $4 billion virtual mall market is expected to grow by 47 % in the next two years, according to Fuji Keizai Management.
Web-based shopping malls generate nearly 40% of total sales done on the Internet or on mobile phones in Japan, the report said.
The report said an entry into the market by Amazon Japan which boasts over 6 million users a year could likely spur a shift in sites consumers use to shop online.
Rakuten currently holds a 43% share of Japan's virtual mall market, followed by Yahoo Japan with 17%, the report said.
The virtual mall now accounts for about 30% of the products sold on Amazon.com's Web site, a spokeswoman at the Japan unit, quoted by Reuters, said.
The spokeswoman however gave no details on the virtual mall plan including launch timing, the report further said.