Listen: Rakuten Acquisition of Curbside Shakes Up Retail

 

Reports of the demise of brick-and-mortar retail may be a bit premature if Japanese retail giant Rakuten has anything to say about it.

Rakuten, a rival to Amazon’s e-commerce domination, has just acquired Curbside in an “all cash” deal. The mobile commerce company, founded by former Apple engineers,Jaron Waldman and Denis Laprise, had been valued at more than $100M during its last venture round in 2015.

One of the most popular features in Curbside’s e-commerce suite is named ARRIVE, which can track a customer’s journey and ETA in order to have their products ready in an instant.

CEO and co-founder Jaron Waldman said in a press release: “For our customers and partners the headline is that nothing will change. Curbside will operate independently as a Rakuten-owned company with our team, services, partners and product offerings all remaining intact.”

In an additional move to strengthen customer loyalty, Rakuten is also developing an in-house blockchain currency, Rakuten Coin.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

HR
HR at a Crossroads: Navigating Culture, AI, and the Future of Work
January 13, 2026

The modern workplace is at a crossroads, shaped by the rapid rise of AI, shifting cultural expectations, and increasing pressure on leaders to balance efficiency with humanity. Organizations are being forced to make intentional choices about how they operate, how they lead, and how they invest in their people — choices that will define…

Read More
Trades
From Hands-On to High-Tech: How Innovation Is Transforming the Next Generation of Trades Talent
January 13, 2026

The skilled trades are facing a turning point. With a rapidly retiring workforce and an ever-growing demand for infrastructure, HVAC, and electrical expertise, the U.S. is experiencing a talent gap that’s becoming impossible to ignore. Looking ahead to 2026, industry analysts anticipate the construction sector will need to recruit nearly half a million new workers,…

Read More
continuing education
Career-Connected Continuing Ed: How Upright Education Helps Colleges Upskill Adult Learners in Digital Skills
January 12, 2026

Higher education is undergoing a quiet shift. While undergraduate enrollments remain in long-term decline, continuing education has emerged as one of the sector’s fastest-growing segments, expanding at more than 11% annually. At the same time, rapid advances in AI, data, and cybersecurity are reshaping nearly every job category, forcing institutions to rethink how quickly…

Read More
Dr. G. Duncan Finlay
The Legacy of Dr. G. Duncan Finlay – Episode 6
January 9, 2026

The Rothman Index, developed by Dr. Michael Rothman and his brother Steven, is a pioneering patient acuity score designed to help clinicians recognize patient deterioration earlier and more clearly. Presented as an easily understood, color-coded graph that updates in real time, the Index displays upward and downward trends in patient condition at a glance—transforming…

Read More