Q. When will the 2026 Rakuten Super SALE be held?

A. As in previous years, it is highly likely to be held starting at 20:00 on the 4th of March, June, September, and December. The exact dates will be released a few days prior, but it is important to secure inventory and ad budgets in advance based on the calendar.

Q. Which event should beginners focus on most?

A. First, we recommend building a track record during the "Shopping Marathon" held twice a month. By implementing point multipliers on days ending in 0 and 5 and accumulating reviews, you can create explosive power for the major Super SALE.

2026 Rakuten Event Calendar Strategy: Promotional Roadmap to Maximize Annual ROAS

For EC business operators aiming to maximize sales on Rakuten Ichiba, understanding the "Rakuten Event Calendar 2026" means more than just checking the schedule. It is nothing less than a "military operation map" to beat competitors and achieve maximum ROAS (Return On Advertising Spend) with a limited budget. In this article, we will organize the major sales cycles of 2026 using MECE (Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive) principles and explain specific promotional logic to be executed in each phase from a professional perspective.

Table of Contents (Click to Expand)

1. Overview and Importance of 2026 Rakuten Events
2. By Quarter: Major Sales & Shopping Seasons to Conquer
3. RPP Ads and Point Strategy to Maximize ROAS
4. 2026 Trends: Fusion of AI and Semantic SEO

Overview and Importance of 2026 Rakuten Events

In the Rakuten Ichiba ecosystem, roughly 70% of sales are said to occur during event periods such as "Shopping Marathon" and "Rakuten Super SALE." In 2026, user purchasing behavior will become even more segmented, and the importance of "pre-event reservation purchases" and "improving repeat rates via post-event thank-you coupons" is increasing.

By Quarter: Major Sales & Shopping Seasons to Conquer

Looking at the 2026 calendar, the key is how to utilize the "Shopping Marathon" held twice a month, centered around the "Super SALE" in March, June, September, and December. In particular, traffic peaks annually in Q1 (Jan-Mar) for new life demand, and Q4 (Oct-Dec) due to the overlap of Hometown Tax (Furusato Nozei) and Black Friday.

RPP Ads and Point Strategy to Maximize ROAS

To maintain search rankings during event periods, operation of RPP (Rakuten Promotion Platform) ads is essential. As a strategy for 2026, it is required to automatically adjust bid prices "2 hours after event start" and "5 hours before end" to secure impression share. Also, by strategically granting point multipliers (5x, 10x) based on the profit margin of each SKU, it is possible to dramatically improve CVR (Conversion Rate).

2026 Trends: Fusion of AI and Semantic SEO

Rakuten SEO (Search Engine Optimization) in 2026 will not be about simple keyword stuffing, but rather "semantic understanding" that comprehends user search intent. In addition to optimizing product names, preparing structured data with automated purchasing by AI agents in mind will lead to securing medium- to long-term inflow channels.

FAQ

Q. When will the 2026 Rakuten Super SALE be held?: A. As in previous years, it is highly likely to be held starting at 20:00 on the 4th of March, June, September, and December. The exact dates will be released a few days prior, but it is important to secure inventory and ad budgets in advance based on the calendar.
Q. Which event should beginners focus on most?: A. First, we recommend building a track record during the "Shopping Marathon" held twice a month. By implementing point multipliers on days ending in 0 and 5 and accumulating reviews, you can create explosive power for the major Super SALE.