Rakuten LinkShare reports 44% growth, with department stores and fashion driving sales

London, UK — August 22, 2013 — Today leading CPA network Rakuten LinkShare reveals growth across the network of 44% year-on-year in Q2. This is compared to 17% year-on-year growth across the wider UK e-commerce sector according to the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index.

Fashion and shopping at department stores are responsible for much of this growth. Online sales at department stores have nearly doubled across the network when compared to the same period last year, as shoppers consider them a one-stop shop for all their needs. Sales of clothing online also continue to grow, with the network’s fashion clients reporting a 58% increase across the second quarter of the year.

To support the growing affiliate programmes across the e-commerce sector, Rakuten LinkShare has now launched an industry-standard certification programme for affiliate programme managers. This educates affiliate managers through a series of video tutorials and articles, tests proficiency across advertiser and publisher dashboards and ensures that affiliate professionals know about the latest technologies and tactics to help them grow and optimise their affiliate programmes. The certification programme is part of Rakuten LinkShare Campus.

Rakuten LinkShare isn’t the only part of the business that’s growing. Rakuten MediaForge, which offers dynamic retargeting services to retailers, has seen rapid expansion. It has experienced over 10-fold growth in the UK from Q1 to Q2 in 2013 due to more brands using the service.

Mark Haviland, MD of Rakuten LinkShare commented: “The affiliate channel is growing to support the ever-growing popularity of online shopping. This has inspired us to launch our certification initiative so that our clients can benefit from the culture of education that Rakuten LinkShare encourages and fosters. With large, complex affiliate programmes, such as those for department stores, going from strength to strength, it’s more important than ever for those that work in the industry to continually upskill.”

Rakhee Jogia, Director of Retargeting Services at Rakuten MediaForge commented: “The retail and fashion industry has welcomed the additional functionalities that Rakuten MediaForge offers in the UK and we now have several brands using personalised retargeting as a key part of their performance marketing programmes. The jewellery and beauty sectors are following this trend too. As these services are new to the UK clients across our network, to see such appetite for them is extremely encouraging.”

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About Rakuten LinkShare
Rakuten LinkShare is part of Rakuten Marketing which provides online retailers and other businesses with expert online marketing services and solutions. Its affiliate marketing network and retargeting solutions can acquire new customers, increase revenue and drive overall results while achieving target return on ad spend. Rakuten LinkShare’s clients include some leading UK retailers such as AVON, Dorothy Perkins, Evans, French Connection, Karen Millen, Kurt Geiger, LEGO, Lipsy, Miss Selfridge, Monsoon, Republic, Schuh, Superdry, Charles Tyrwhitt, Topman, The White Company, Wallis and UNIQLO. Rakuten LinkShare was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in New York City, with offices in San Francisco, Chicago, London, Tokyo and Sydney. For more information, please visit: www.linkshare.co.uk.

Media contact
Eleanor Armitage
Hotwire
eleanor.armitage@hotwirepr.com
+44 (0)20 7608 2500
Rakuten LinkShare Campus contact
ls-edu@linkshare.com

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