Press Release

NEW YORakuten LogoRK CITY – July 30, 2013 – Rakuten LinkShare today announced continued growth throughout its global performance marketing network for the second quarter of 2013. The affiliate network spans the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Australia.

Highlights of the quarter include:
·      An increase in same store sales in the U.S. by 30 percent year-over-year.
·      An increase in same store sales in the U.K. by 44 percent year-over-year.
·      An increase in same store sales in the Canada by 31 percent year-over-year.
·      New advertisers that have joined the global affiliate network include: Orbitz, in the U.S., River Island, Cook Trading Limited, and Country Attire in the UK, L’Occitane in Canada, and Atterley Road and Ferrari Store in Australia.

Additionally, as part of its Google Affiliate Network Migration Program, top advertisers that have joined the Rakuten LinkShare network in the second quarter include Orbitz Worldwide and Cheaptickets.com.

“While we’re proud of the success we’ve been able to achieve, these results also reflect the strength of our advertisers and publishers as they expand their reach in a growing, global e-commerce marketplace,” said Yaz Iida, chief executive officer, Rakuten LinkShare. “According to the latest research from Forrester, the affiliate channel is poised for cross-border commerce. To ensure our network members can take advantage of these increasing opportunities, we will continue to provide the technology and services that will enable them to thrive.”

Also this past quarter, the company recognized the most successful and innovative advertisers and publishers in the network as part of the annual Golden Link Awards held during the Rakuten LinkShare Symposium New York event. Awards were presented in 16 categories including: Best New Advertiser, Best Display and Retargeting Campaign and Affiliate Manager of the Year. A complete list of the winners can be found here.

About Rakuten LinkShare Corporation
Rakuten LinkShare Corporation provides online retailers and other businesses with expert online marketing services and solutions. Rakuten LinkShare’s cost per action (CPA) affiliate network, search marketing services, lead generation campaigns and retargeting solutions can acquire new customers, increase revenue and drive overall results while achieving target return on ad spend. Rakuten LinkShare clients are Fortune 500 and other prominent companies doing business online, including J.C. Penney, 1-800-Flowers.com, American Express, Avon Products, and The Body Shop. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in New York City, with offices in San Francisco, Chicago, Tampa, London, Tokyo and Sydney. For more information, please visit www.linkshare.com.

About Rakuten
Rakuten, Inc. (JASDAQ: 4755), is one of the world’s leading Internet service companies, providing a variety of consumer- and business-focused services including e-commerce, e-reading, travel, banking, securities, credit card, e-money, portal and media, online marketing and professional sports. Selected by Forbes as 7th among the World’s Most Innovative Companies of 2012, Rakuten is expanding globally and currently has operations throughout Asia, Western Europe, and the Americas. Founded in 1997, Rakuten is headquartered in Tokyo, with over 10,000 employees worldwide. For more information, visit http://global.rakuten.com/corp/.