 | |
Type of site | Retail |
|---|---|
| Available in | English |
| Owner | Rakuten |
| URL | www |
| Commercial | Yes |
| Registration | Required for purchases |
| Launched | 1998 (as Play.com) |
| Current status | Online |
Rakuten.co.uk is a website owned by Rakuten, that operated as an online marketplace until August 2016.
The website replaced Play.com, which was originally established in Jersey as an online retailer of entertainment products. Rakuten had purchased Play.com in 2011,[1] and in 2013 the company switched to a new third-party marketplace format following a change in the law covering VAT for companies operating in Jersey and selling to consumers on the UK mainland.[2]
The Play.com website was replaced by Rakuten.co.uk on 23 March 2015.
Rakuten.co.uk was relaunched in October 2016 as a portal to earn loyalty "Superpoints" from UK online shops such as Topman, HMV and B&Q.
- ^ Wood, Zoe (22 September 2011). "Play.com sold to Rakuten of Japan for £25m". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
- ^ "Jersey retailer Play.com closes direct retail business". BBC News. Retrieved 9 January 2013.