SAZO, an AI Cross-Border EC Service, Begins Partnership with Rakuten Ichiba for Promotional Activities Targeting the South Korean Market
SAZO, a cross-border e-commerce platform, has partnered with Rakuten Ichiba to allow Korean consumers to easily purchase Rakuten products. SAZO uses AI to calculate tariffs and shipping costs automatically, and handles consolidation and local customer support.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 14, 2026 at 18:10
- 🔍 Collected: April 14, 2026 at 09:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 19, 2026 at 19:17 (129h 45m after Collected)
SAZO Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Showa-ku, Nagoya City; CEO: Gil Maro; hereinafter 'SAZO'), which operates the cross-border EC shopping service 'SAZO', has begun a partnership with 'Rakuten Ichiba', operated by Rakuten Group, Inc. (hereinafter 'Rakuten'), for promotional activities targeting the South Korean market.
Through this partnership, by connecting product information APIs, an environment will be built where Korean users can purchase products from Rakuten Ichiba via 'SAZO'. In addition to this, joint marketing activities leveraging SAZO's local marketing know-how will be deployed.
Background of the Partnership and SAZO's Strengths
As the cross-border EC market continues to expand (*), expanding sales channels through overseas development has become an important theme for many EC operators. Under this background, SAZO has decided to start a partnership with Rakuten Ichiba, representing Japan's EC platform.
The background for SAZO being selected as Rakuten's official partner includes the following strengths and achievements:
Realizing a purchasing experience similar to domestic EC with AI predicting freight and tariffs
SAZO's greatest strength is its automatic calculation system for exchange rates, international shipping, and tariffs using AI. This allows even users unfamiliar with traditional cross-border EC and proxy purchasing services to make purchases feeling exactly the same as using their own country's EC sites, without worrying about complex calculations and procedures.
Furthermore, on the logistics front, based on this AI prediction, a system is built where products purchased from multiple shops are combined and shipped as a 'minimum size' package from its own base. It significantly reduces international shipping costs, which is the biggest bottleneck of cross-border EC, providing an overwhelmingly easy and cost-effective purchasing experience.
Local Adaptability
SAZO has established a CS (customer support) base in South Korea and provides comprehensive support by native Korean-speaking staff, possessing a strong foundation specialized for the Korean market. It already has solutions to cross-border EC challenges such as language, payment, and logistics, and this robust foundation specialized for the Korean market supports the current partnership.
Marketing Power
SAZO constantly measures and analyzes the reactions and purchasing data of local consumers in real-time to continually grasp market trends.
*According to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's 'FY2024 Market Survey on E-Commerce', the global cross-border EC market size in 2024 is estimated at 1.01 trillion US dollars, and this figure is projected to expand to 6.72 trillion US dollars by 2034. https://www.meti.go.jp/press/2025/08/20250826005/20250826005.html
Partnership Details
Localization of 'Rakuten Ichiba' products and end-to-end purchasing/shipping support
By connecting the product information API with 'Rakuten Ichiba', overseas users will be able to view and purchase product information translated into the local language on 'SAZO'.
Products ordered by overseas users are delivered to SAZO's domestic warehouse, carefully inspected, packed, and shipped. Furthermore, SAZO handles all complicated overseas shipping procedures and inquiries from users on behalf of the sellers.
Joint Marketing leveraging Korean marketing know-how
Utilizing the local knowledge SAZO has accumulated, joint marketing with Rakuten will be deployed, including promotions such as issuing promotional coupons. It will promote awareness expansion and purchasing acceleration to local users in a data-driven manner.
Transaction Flow
When a Korean user purchases a Rakuten Ichiba product on 'SAZO' (https://sazo.kr/), SAZO arranges the Rakuten Ichiba product on behalf of the buyer. The Rakuten Ichiba store owner ships the product to SAZO's domestic base, and SAZO delivers the received product to the buyer.
Comment from Gil Maro, President and CEO of SAZO Co., Ltd.
While many users have an image of cross-border EC as 'difficult to use', 'confusing', or 'anxious because the flow is unknown', SAZO has removed these barriers and succeeded in developing a segment that had never used cross-border EC before.
As a result, we have been able to continue growing at over 150% every quarter for about two years since our launch.
We are extremely honored that our track record has been evaluated this time, and we have been chosen as a business collaboration partner of the Rakuten Group.
Together with Rakuten Ichiba...
Through this partnership, by connecting product information APIs, an environment will be built where Korean users can purchase products from Rakuten Ichiba via 'SAZO'. In addition to this, joint marketing activities leveraging SAZO's local marketing know-how will be deployed.
Background of the Partnership and SAZO's Strengths
As the cross-border EC market continues to expand (*), expanding sales channels through overseas development has become an important theme for many EC operators. Under this background, SAZO has decided to start a partnership with Rakuten Ichiba, representing Japan's EC platform.
The background for SAZO being selected as Rakuten's official partner includes the following strengths and achievements:
Realizing a purchasing experience similar to domestic EC with AI predicting freight and tariffs
SAZO's greatest strength is its automatic calculation system for exchange rates, international shipping, and tariffs using AI. This allows even users unfamiliar with traditional cross-border EC and proxy purchasing services to make purchases feeling exactly the same as using their own country's EC sites, without worrying about complex calculations and procedures.
Furthermore, on the logistics front, based on this AI prediction, a system is built where products purchased from multiple shops are combined and shipped as a 'minimum size' package from its own base. It significantly reduces international shipping costs, which is the biggest bottleneck of cross-border EC, providing an overwhelmingly easy and cost-effective purchasing experience.
Local Adaptability
SAZO has established a CS (customer support) base in South Korea and provides comprehensive support by native Korean-speaking staff, possessing a strong foundation specialized for the Korean market. It already has solutions to cross-border EC challenges such as language, payment, and logistics, and this robust foundation specialized for the Korean market supports the current partnership.
Marketing Power
SAZO constantly measures and analyzes the reactions and purchasing data of local consumers in real-time to continually grasp market trends.
*According to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's 'FY2024 Market Survey on E-Commerce', the global cross-border EC market size in 2024 is estimated at 1.01 trillion US dollars, and this figure is projected to expand to 6.72 trillion US dollars by 2034. https://www.meti.go.jp/press/2025/08/20250826005/20250826005.html
Partnership Details
Localization of 'Rakuten Ichiba' products and end-to-end purchasing/shipping support
By connecting the product information API with 'Rakuten Ichiba', overseas users will be able to view and purchase product information translated into the local language on 'SAZO'.
Products ordered by overseas users are delivered to SAZO's domestic warehouse, carefully inspected, packed, and shipped. Furthermore, SAZO handles all complicated overseas shipping procedures and inquiries from users on behalf of the sellers.
Joint Marketing leveraging Korean marketing know-how
Utilizing the local knowledge SAZO has accumulated, joint marketing with Rakuten will be deployed, including promotions such as issuing promotional coupons. It will promote awareness expansion and purchasing acceleration to local users in a data-driven manner.
Transaction Flow
When a Korean user purchases a Rakuten Ichiba product on 'SAZO' (https://sazo.kr/), SAZO arranges the Rakuten Ichiba product on behalf of the buyer. The Rakuten Ichiba store owner ships the product to SAZO's domestic base, and SAZO delivers the received product to the buyer.
Comment from Gil Maro, President and CEO of SAZO Co., Ltd.
While many users have an image of cross-border EC as 'difficult to use', 'confusing', or 'anxious because the flow is unknown', SAZO has removed these barriers and succeeded in developing a segment that had never used cross-border EC before.
As a result, we have been able to continue growing at over 150% every quarter for about two years since our launch.
We are extremely honored that our track record has been evaluated this time, and we have been chosen as a business collaboration partner of the Rakuten Group.
Together with Rakuten Ichiba...