The fact that Yuki Kawamura became the fourth Japanese player to debut has been a tailwind, and the NBA is attracting attention not only from basketball fans but also from all over Japan.In such circumstances, the popularity of team merchandise is on the rise.The apparel available at Rakuten SPORTS ZONE is also gradually gaining recognition as original items that can only be purchased here, despite being official.We had an in-depth discussion about the popular items and their origins, taking the opportunity of the first pop-up shop opening.

Fully Utilizing the Advantages of Online. Monetizing High Interest through Data Utilization

Rakuten SPORTS ZONE is an EC select shop located within the largest EC mall in Japan, ‘Rakuten Ichiba’, offering a wide array of professional sports goods.Among them, NBA-related items are particularly popular, accounting for nearly 90% of all products handled.In the pop-up event held in September, the original NBA apparel produced by Rakuten SPORTS ZONE, which started in earnest in 2022, was the main focus. The lineup also included lifestyle brands such as ‘Off The Court by NBA’, which has enhanced its fashionability.The trigger for the pop-up event was apparently the voices from end users buying products online, saying ‘I want to see the actual product in person’and ‘I want to try it on’.

The pop-up was held on Cat Street in Harajuku.

“We decided to conduct it because we received many responses from customers who purchased, saying they wanted to touch the actual product, in our survey.　Another reason is that I wanted to reach out more to those who love fashion.”

The one who responds like this is Mr. Kudo (on the right) from the Sports EC division of Rakuten EC Consulting Department.To begin with, the Rakuten Group, as “NBA Rakuten”, owns the broadcasting rights for the NBA in Japan, and has a partnership with the NBA team, Golden State Warriors. Their relationship with the NBA is indeed close.Without a physical store, how would NBA apparel, which can normally only be seen online, appear to discerning individuals?

Various people visit the pop-up store!On this day, we also saw the presence of the professional freestyle basketball player, BUG!?.

Among the NBA apparel, the “Lettering Sweatshirt” series is popular.Support for logo items is always high, and it seems that the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics, and Miami Heat are particularly popular among teams.By the way, not only this lettering sweatshirt, but also product development that Rakuten SPORTS ZONE carries out everything from planning to sales, promotions, and customer support is increasing year by year.

We have carefully selected and produced merchandise for the most popular and highly noticed teams among all 30 NBA teams.

“We always strive to be an entity that even hardcore NBA fans wouldn’t be disappointed in, considering aspects such as color schemes and logo placement.Furthermore, we have been advancing the project by receiving advice from and collaborating with individuals who possess expertise. And at the same time, Rakuten, with its proven track record in online sales, is also leveraging its unique strengths.”

The unique weapon that Mr. Kudo and Mr. Wada of the same department unanimously agree on, unique to Rakuten, is the vast amount of data managed by Rakuten Ichiba and NBA Rakuten respectively.Utilize both sets of data to interpret user trends and preferences, analyze latent needs, and reflect them in the product.

“NBA merchandise can be broadly divided into two categories: products for competitors and products for casual use.What we undertake is a casual approach to fashion.Recently, I’ve finally been able to put to good use the knowledge and skills that I’ve been diligently cultivating since startup.The number of plans and projects has also been increasing.”

The organizational structure of Rakuten SPORTS ZONE consists of only three people: Mr. Kudo, Mr. Wada, and one other person.The elite small team is working together as one on their tasks.All this is to create a world view in Japan where people can be more passionate about the NBA through NBA apparel.

“The popularity of the NBA in Japan is undoubtedly growing, but it is naturally nowhere near that in the United States, and it is said to be about one-hundredth of that compared to China, indicating its relatively small presence.However, precisely because of this, I feel there is still a lot of potential left for further development. We would be delighted if our products could bring the NBA closer to people and serve as a catalyst for their passion.”

They are considering developing merchandise outside of the basketball context in the future.Perhaps, there might be realization of designs such as jewelry fashioned from a fashion perspective, camping gear with NBA team logos, and even stylish living spaces modeled after team colors.The increasing passion for the NBA suggests an enjoyable lifestyle.We can’t take my eyes off the future of Rakuten SPORTS ZONE.

PHOTO: Teppei Hori
INTERVIEW&TEXT: Keisuke Honda
EDIT: Yohsuke Watanabe (IN FOCUS)