According to (Applegate, et al., 2009) business model defines the linkages among key strategy, capabilities, and value drivers of business performance. From the business model perspectives, it also defines the uniqueness of the business’s product and services from other companies. It also defines the ways that the business can make profit.
Business model is used to represent informal and formal descriptions and core aspects of the company including: what the company does, their target market, their product and services they offering, operational processes and the policies that abide the company and the workers within the company. It also is the analytical representation or illustration of an organization’s business processes (Business, 2014). From the two definitions, deductions could be that, business model involve strategies that the business itself make and take to implement ways to generate profit and also making sure that their consumers get best services and goods. Business model also defines uniqueness of the business from competitors.
Rakuten uses aggregator business model, of which is a model that describes a business that collects information about goods and services from different types of shops and put them together on their websites (Aggregator, 2014). Rakuten was started as online shopping mall where consumers can order online or view products that are offered by different shops in the online mall. Consumers were charged shipping fee and shop owners will be charged a fixed fee, to be signed under Rakuten’s online shopping mall.
Rakuten’s business strategy is providing online shopping mall, targeting consumers who always busy and cannot afford to go physically to the stores. One of the advantages of online shopping mall was the ability to compare products which are offered by different stores. It also didn’t charge consumers for using this service and also the registering was optional, but it was for convenience so is to not to
Cited: March 21, 2014.] https://www-304.ibm.com/connections/files/app#/file/9e255588-2c39-49fd-ac2d-0a6e2b13aa24.