Japanese c-stores leap into e-commerce partnerships.(convenience stores, electronic...

Japan -- Japanese convenience stores have raced into the Internet commerce market with aggressive partnerships designed to capture the e-commerce market at the outset.

Five major Japanese convenience-store chains will set up a joint venture in April to create the country's biggest Internet-commerce network, a company official said in January.

The venture would allow clients to download music or buy concert tickets and books via the Internet or via multimedia terminals at the stores, said Sunkus and Associates Inc. spokeswoman Hiromi Onodera.

Sunku