What Rakuma does

Rakuma is a consumer-to-consumer (C2C) marketplace mobile application operated by Rakuten Group, Inc. in Japan. The platform was originally launched in 2014 as Fril (フリル) and rebranded to Rakuma in 2018, at which point it was folded into the Rakuten ecosystem and migrated to Rakuten ID authentication. It enables individual buyers and sellers to transact across a broad set of categories including fashion, electronics, food and beverages, entertainment goods, and luxury items. The platform has scaled meaningful catalog depth in niche verticals — over 430,000 Supreme listings and 80,000+ tea listings have been cited as examples of category liquidity.

The product is built on a mobile-first architecture with several notable technical components. A proprietary counterfeit detection system screens listings for fraud risk, and the Rakuma Saikyo Kantei service provides expert brand authentication across 850+ brands via a partnership with KOMEHYO, a major Japanese used-luxury dealer. Anonymous shipping is delivered through Rakuma Pack, which removes the need for sellers and buyers to exchange personal addresses. Payments are intermediated through Rakuten Pay, and the platform is integrated with Rakuten's SPU (Super Point Up) loyalty program, allowing users to earn and redeem Rakuten Super Points across transactions.

Rakuma's business model is commission-based: the platform takes a percentage of each successful transaction. Additional revenue lines include optional promotional fees for sellers, the authentication service (which reportedly increases sell-through rates by 50%+), and the Rakuma Official Shops channel, which allows brand-operated storefronts on the platform. As a Rakuten Group subsidiary, Rakuma does not disclose standalone revenue, and financial performance is not broken out as a separate reporting segment.

Name

Rakuma

Legal name

Rakuten Group, Inc.

Website

https://fril.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Rakuma is a Japan-based consumer-to-consumer marketplace mobile app operated by Rakuten Group, enabling individual buyers and sellers to transact across fashion, electronics, luxury, and other categories via commission-based pricing, with integrated authentication and shipping services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

C2C Online Marketplace

NAICS

Used Merchandise Retailers (459510), All Other Miscellaneous Retailers (45999)

SIC

Retail-Nonstore Retailers (5960)

akta.pro primary industry

Peer-to-Peer (C2C) Resale Marketplaces (CRAFAGAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fashion & Accessories C2C Resale (CRAFAKAB), Books, Media, Games & Hobbies C2C (CRAFAKAH)

Keywords

• C2C online marketplace
• Second-hand goods trading
• Consumer resale platform
• Mobile flea market
• Pre-owned item sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Marketplace Transaction Commission: Rakuma earns revenue by taking a commission fee (take rate) on each completed peer-to-peer transaction. Sellers list items for free and pay a fee upon successful sale. Specific commission rates are not publicly disclosed on the platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Rakuma is a consumer-to-consumer (C2C) online marketplace operated by Rakuten Group, Inc. that enables individual users to buy and sell new and pre-owned items across categories including fashion, electronics, entertainment, and food/beverages. Originally launched as "Fril" (フリル), it operates as both a mobile application and web platform, providing authentication services for branded resale items and counterfeit detection to facilitate trusted peer-to-peer transactions.

Product overview

Rakuma (楽天ラクマ, formerly Fril/フリル) is a C2C (consumer-to-consumer) flea market mobile app and web platform operated by Rakuten Group. The core offering is the Rakuma marketplace where users buy and sell new and second-hand items across fashion, electronics, entertainment, food/beverages, and more. The platform integrates with Rakuten's ecosystem through Rakuten ID authentication and SPU point rewards. Premium trust and safety features include ラクマ最強鑑定 (professional authentication service partnered with KOMEHYO), ラクマあんしん補償 (buyer protection), and かんたんラクマパック (integrated shipping). Additional offerings include ラクマPlus (editorial content), and ラクマ公式ショップ (official brand stores). The platform supports various product categories and includes features like brand pages, category browsing, rankings, and purchase price information.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ラクマ最強鑑定 (Rakuma Saikyo Kantei): A premium authentication service for luxury and designer items on the Rakuma platform, operated in partnership with KOMEHYO.

Products and services

• Rakuma Mobile Application Consumer-to-consumer mobile marketplace application that allows individuals in Japan to buy and sell new and used items across fashion, electronics, entertainment, and food/beverages categories directly from their smartphones.
• Rakuma Web Platform Browser-based consumer-to-consumer marketplace that enables individual users to list and purchase new and pre-owned goods across multiple product categories, complementing the mobile experience.
• Rakuma Brand Authentication Service Verification service that authenticates branded items (such as Supreme) listed for resale on the platform, reducing counterfeit risk and supporting higher-value transactions between individual buyers and sellers.
• Rakuma Food & Beverage (Tea) Category Specialized category within the Rakuma marketplace where individuals can buy and sell tea and other food and beverage products, expanding C2C resale beyond traditional fashion and electronics categories.

Quantifiable outcome

• Items using Rakuma Saikyo Kantei authentication sell 50%+ more easily within one month compared to non-authenticated items

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• KOMEHYO (コメ兵)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKOMEHYO, a leading Japanese luxury goods recycler and retailer, partners with Rakuma to provide professional authentication services under the 'Rakuma Saikyo Kantei' program. KOMEHYO applies its expertise in brand and jewelry authentication (covering 850+ brands) to verify the authenticity of items traded on the platform. The partnership includes two authentication modes: pre-delivery authentication and post-delivery authentication, with KOMEHYO performing the actual inspection and issuing authenticity determinations.
• Rakuten Group, Inc.coreOthersRakuma is operated by Rakuten Group, Inc. It benefits from the Rakuten ecosystem including Rakuten ID login integration, SPU (Super Point Up) loyalty program, Rakuten Card payment benefits, and cross-service marketing. The platform formerly operated as Fril before being rebranded under the Rakuten umbrella.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• eBay: Global C2C and B2C marketplace with broad category coverage. Comparable to Rakuma as a peer-to-peer selling platform with authentication, multiple categories, and mobile experience, though much broader in geographic scope.

Direct peers

• Depop: Global C2C fashion resale platform with strong streetwear and vintage focus, comparable to Rakuma's Supreme and brand enthusiast segment. Operates a similar mobile-first peer-to-peer model.
• Mercari: Direct head-to-head competitor in Japan's C2C resale market. Operates the leading Japanese flea market app with similar listing, shipping, and payment intermediation model, and is Rakuma's primary competitive benchmark.
• Yahoo! Auctions (PayPay Flea Market): Yahoo Japan/Z Holdings-operated C2C marketplace that directly competes with Rakuma in the same Japanese consumer resale category, with similar mobile-first experience and PayPay payment integration.
• Poshmark: Social commerce C2C marketplace primarily for fashion in the US. Similar mobile-first listing flow, self-serve transactional model, and fashion-heavy category mix make it a relevant international comparable for Rakuma's fashion vertical.
• Vinted: European C2C marketplace specializing in fashion resale with no seller fees. Comparable to Rakuma in core transactional model and target customer, but operates under a different monetization strategy.
• Letgo (now part of OfferUp): Mobile-first C2C marketplace for secondhand goods. Shares the mobile-led, self-serve listing and local-discovery model used by Rakuma, though primarily operating in the US.

Emerging players

• StockX: Global authentication-driven resale marketplace for sneakers, streetwear, and collectibles. Relevant peer given Rakuma's authentication moat and Supreme/streetwear liquidity, even though StockX operates globally and is category-narrower.
• SNKRDUNK: Japanese sneaker and streetwear authentication resale platform. Comparable to Rakuma's authenticated brand marketplace segment, particularly in Supreme and sneaker categories, with a stronger authentication focus.

Others

• KOMEHYO: Japanese luxury recycler and retailer that is Rakuma's core authentication partner. It is a strategic ecosystem participant that also competes indirectly in branded resale and offers a useful benchmark for luxury authentication depth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rakuma_official
• Instagraminstagram.com/rakuma_official

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rakuma