Rakuten France, one of the long-established platforms in the French e-commerce market, will permanently cease operations at the end of 2026 after sales negotiations failed to produce a result. The company’s management stated that extensive discussions with potential buyers did not lead to a viable solution capable of ensuring the long-term continuity of the business. The closure decision is expected to affect approximately 180 employees.
No Suitable Offer Was Found for Rakuten France
Japanese technology and retail group Rakuten acquired the French online marketplace PriceMinister for €200 million in 2010. The company, which was intended to become one of Amazon’s major competitors in Europe, saw its valuation reduced to €65 million in 2016. Since that year, the number of active customers has declined by 33%, while website traffic has fallen by 42%.
Following the downturn in operations, the company announced in May 2026 that it was seeking a buyer for Rakuten France. PriceMinister founder Pierre Kosciusko-Morizet, as well as companies including Casino, Carrefour, Pixmania, and Back Market, were reported to be among the potential buyers. However, no offer was received that met criteria such as business sustainability, financial conditions, and employee protection.
Spanish Operations Will Also Be Discontinued
Rakuten France entered the Spanish market in September 2025 by leveraging its technological infrastructure and expertise, particularly in artificial intelligence. However, because the French and Spanish operations are managed through the same organizational structure, the marketplace in Spain will also be shut down.
Pixmania Challenged the Sales Process
Pixmania, one of the potential buyers, raised questions about the impartiality of the sales process. Pixmania CEO Jean-Émile Rosenblum argued that Rakuten may have planned from the outset to close the company rather than sell it. The company’s offer reportedly included the continuation of operations and the employment of approximately 60 workers.
Rakuten France firmly rejected the allegations. Management stated that protecting employment was one of the main criteria in evaluating potential offers and that Pixmania had proposed retaining only around one-third of the existing workforce.