Rakuten in the company in August 2007 and, in 2010, it announced a joint venture with Baidu in China (Lekutian). In June 2011, Rakuten acquired Brazilian e-commerce firm Ikeda — since renamed Rakuten Brazil. In July, it bought German e-commerce start-up Tradoria and rebranded it Rakuten Deutschland, and in September UK online retailer and e-commerce marketplace Play.com for £25 million (almost $41 million), which was converted into the points-based loyalty program Rakuten.co.uk. In September 2011, Rakuten took a minority equity stake in Russian online retailer Ozon.ru, dubbed "Russia's Amazon", which had reported 2010 sales worth US$137 million. A four-company-strong consortium, led
Then and Now (retailer) Then and Now (retailer) Then and Now (also Then and Now Shop) is a London-based Internet retailer that sells past season designer clothes and accessories at substantial discounts, as well as current-season items from designer names. Then and Now was established in Farringdon in December 2011 by Lian Michelson, a former Morgan Stanley trader. It works direct with suppliers to offer sales direct from the site and also includes links to affiliates, for which it receives a commission on subsequent purchases. The original inspiration for the site came about when Michelson noticed an absence of discounted menswear online, although the