"Rakuten Ichiba" Officially Launches "Rakuten Social Gift," Enabling Easy Gift-Giving Without Needing an Address

URL: https://event.rakuten.co.jp/gift/socialgift/

Rakuten Group, Inc.'s (hereinafter "Rakuten") internet shopping mall "Rakuten Ichiba" today began the full-scale provision of "Rakuten Social Gift," a new function that allows friends and acquaintances to easily send gifts without needing to know the recipient's address.

"Rakuten Social Gift" is a new feature of "Rakuten Ichiba" that allows users to easily send gifts to recipients whose addresses they do not know, simply by sending a "gift reception link" via messaging apps, email, or social media. On the "Rakuten Social Gift" portal site, which opened today, users can find the perfect gift for any recipient from a wide range of products categorized by theme, such as "birthdays" and "wedding celebrations," and by genre or brand, such as "sweets," "beauty and cosmetics," and "daily necessities and goods," corresponding to various scenes and needs.

To purchase, select "Send as Social Gift" from the product page of a social gift-eligible item, and confirm the order from "Social Gift Purchase Procedure" in the shopping cart. After purchase, a "gift reception link" will be issued automatically, which is then sent to the recipient. The recipient registers their delivery information themselves, and the gift is then delivered to the specified address.

In conjunction with the launch of "Rakuten Social Gift," a limited-time campaign "Mother's Day Gifts You Can Send Instantly on SNS - 1 Million Points Share Campaign" will be held in conjunction with "Rakuten Ichiba Mother's Day Gift / Present Feature 2026." Users who enter on the special page and purchase a social gift from an eligible campaign shop will receive a share of 1 million Rakuten Points (Note 1).

In recent years, with the spread of smartphones and cashless payments, there has been an increasing demand for contactless communication. Against this backdrop, the role of gifts has been observed to shift from traditional formal giving to being emphasized as a more casual and personal means of communication. In a gift-related survey conducted by Rakuten, approximately half of those who responded "want to use social gifts" were in their teens or twenties (Note 2). The top reasons cited were "because it's easy to send even if you don't know the recipient's address" (35.0%), "because I want to easily send presents to friends I'm connected with on SNS" (31.8%), and "because I can send to people I don't have the opportunity to hand-deliver to" (30.4%). These results suggest that there is demand for a new gift culture that emphasizes "ease" and "connection" through SNS, particularly among younger generations.

According to a survey by Yano Research Institute, the domestic gift market is expected to reach 11.565 trillion yen in 2025 (103.4% year-on-year), indicating steady expansion. In particular, the "social gift" sector is rapidly expanding, with its market size expected to reach 645 billion yen in 2025 (127.7% year-on-year) (Note 3).

"Rakuten Ichiba" has been working to improve the usability of its gift functions, including the use of AI in gift search. With the introduction of "Rakuten Social Gift," Rakuten aims to capture last-minute demand in gifting situations and further expand sales opportunities for participating stores. For users, Rakuten aims to promote a casual gift-giving culture where gifts are exchanged more easily, through the proposal of diverse gifting scenes.

Rakuten will continue to provide enjoyable shopping experiences and create encounters with new products for users, as well as deliver highly convenient and valuable services for both users and participating stores, through technology and innovation.

(Note 1) The points awarded are limited-time points.

(Note 2) An internet survey conducted in April 2026 targeting 996 men and women aged 10-60 (Survey institution: "Freeasy").

(Note 3) Yano Research Institute "Survey on the Gift Market (2025)" (announced February 13, 2026).

■ "Rakuten Social Gift" Overview

Name: "Rakuten Social Gift"

URL: https://event.rakuten.co.jp/gift/socialgift/

How to use:
1. Select "Send as Social Gift" from the product page of a social gift-compatible product, and confirm the order from "Social Gift Purchase Procedure" in the shopping cart.

2. After purchase, share the automatically issued "gift reception link" with the recipient via a messaging app or email.

3. The recipient enters their delivery information to receive the gift.

■ "Mother's Day Gifts You Can Send Instantly on SNS - 1 Million Points Share Campaign" Overview

URL: http