Data-driven solutions provider Ve Interactive has added another string to its bow by launching a Tokyo office.
The London-headquartered firm, which has offices in the US, Australia, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Brazil, two in Germany and one in China, is now looking for 18 people for its new Japanese office.
The Tokyo hub will be headed up by Tomas Olsson and Saiko Tajima, who will take up the roles of president and CFO, respectively.
Work is now underway to recruit a new Japanese team, as well as support staff in London. In addition, steps are being taken to extend the full features of the Ve Platform and apps into Japanese.
“Japan is a highly attractive market for Ve, with e-commerce growth outpacing brick and mortar retail sales,” Olsson said.
“B2C e-commerce sales reached $128 billion in 2012, up over 11% year-over-year. With a high population density and quick and low-cost shipping, shopping is the second most popular online activity after email.
“Japan also has more credit cards than any other country and over 60% of mobile users are already making online purchases.”
The office is based in Shibuya, the IT centre of Tokyo – next to both Omotesandō , which is the upscale fashion centre, and Harajuku, the young fashion district.