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"NTT DoCoMo, Japan's largest operator, has expanded its e-commerce business after announcing the acquisition of fashion-focused online retailer Magaseek for 2.04 billion yen (around $22 million).\r\n\r\nThe operator -- which has around 50 percent market share in the country -- announced a public tender offer for the startup back in January, and it has now picked up a majority 71 percent stake (15,105 shares). The deal will see Magaseek become a\u00A0consolidated subsidiary of DoCoMo on March 21.\r\n\r\nThe announcement from DoCoMo explains that the new acquisition will help broaden its content offering, with a particular focus on female consumers:\r\nMagaseek, one of Japan\u2019s leading websites for fashion goods, has a considerable user base, mainly female customers in their 20s and 30s. DoCoMo expects to realize synergies in customer satisfaction and shopping convenience by linking Magaseek\u2019s services with DoCoMo\u2019s 60 million customers, cloud services and business expertise.\r\nDoCoMo made a play for Web retail when it announced a new group strategy in 2011 and the operator runs its mobile-based \u2018Dshopping\u2019 service which lets smartphone and tablet owners buy items right from their device. After seeing initial traction, it is seeking to move into the lucrative fashion space in its native Japan.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nMagaSeek was previously owned by trading firm\u00A0Itochu. It recorded net profits of $1.5 million (138 million yen)\u00A0on sales of $106.6 million (9,698 million yen) last year. DoCoMo previously said it would collaborate with Itochu on this proposed new service it is building through the acquisition.\r\n\r\nDoCoMo\u2019s efforts to increase its mobile content business have seen it\u00A0invest $22.5 million in a joint venture\u00A0with Chinese search giant\u00A0Baidu, while it\u00A0snapped up Italian content firm Buongiorno for $267 million\u00A0in August 2012. It remains one of just a few first-world operators yet to strike a deal to carry the iPhone, though it has\u00A0indicated its interest\u00A0in an alliance with Apple. Without a deal, however, the carrier has\u00A0built up its own content delivery platform\u00A0and a number of other mobile-specific services.\r\n\r\nLast year, it signaled its intention to up its focus on Japan with\u00A0a new $125 million fund\u00A0specifically for developing early-stage tech and mobile startups in the country. That program rolled out -- with support from US-based 500 Startups -- in February.\r\n\r\nHeadline image via Shutterstock"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://thenextweb.com/asia/2013/03/15/docomo-expands-its-retail-business-into-fashion-with-22-million-deal-for-magaseek/>