Senior Software Engineer

Mercari Japan has launched a standalone app in the United States, enabling American customers to shop items from Japan's Mercari and Mercari Shops marketplaces. The new app replaces the Mercari x Japan feature previously available within the existing US marketplace. The platform provides access to Japan's largest marketplace with over 4 billion listings, including anime collectibles, Japanese fashion and gaming items. Mercari Japan manages shipping, inspection and tracking, whilst offering lower costs than traditional proxy services and includes shipping protection on all purchases. The launch comes as cross-border e-commerce between Japan and the US continues expanding, with purchases of Japanese products from the US expected to reach approximately JPY 1.6 trillion in 2024. Mercari Japan's cross-border GMV has increased more than 15-fold over three years to exceed JPY 90 billion annually.

Mercari Japan launches new app in the U.S., expanding Mercari's existing marketplace ecosystem. U.S. customers can now discover deals on Japanese collectibles more easily through a dedicated new app for shopping items from Japan. TOKYO, June 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - Mercari, Inc. of Japan ("Mercari Japan") today announced the launch of Mercari Japan, a new standalone app available in the United States. Mercari Japan is a cross-border shopping platform that enables U.S. customers to easily discover great deals and shop with confidence from Japan's online marketplaces, Mercari and Mercari Shops. The new Mercari Japan app is provided by Mercari Japan and is available separately from the U.S. marketplace, which is provided by Mercari, Inc. of the United States ("Mercari"). With the Mercari Japan app, American shoppers gain a dedicated experience for discovering and shopping items from Japan, while the existing U.S. marketplace remains a go-to destination for domestic buying and selling. As part of this launch, the Mercari x Japan feature, currently available through the existing U.S. marketplace, will be phased out as users transition to the Mercari Japan app for a more seamless international shopping experience with added value. Background of the launch of the Mercari Japan app Mercari x Japan was introduced by Mercari as a feature within the existing U.S. marketplace, giving U.S. users a way to discover and purchase items from Mercari, Japan's largest marketplace. The feature resonated with anime fans, Japanese fashion enthusiasts, and collectors, underscoring growing demand in the U.S. for authentic and hard-to-find products from Japan. The new Mercari Japan app, provided by Mercari Japan, builds on that momentum with a dedicated cross-border shopping experience. Driven by the growing global popularity of Japanese culture, demand for authentic and hard-to-find products from Japan has surged. U.S. customers shopping across borders, particularly for rare and higher-priced items, increasingly value fast and hassle-free delivery. Mercari Japan is designed to meet those needs with a dedicated cross-border shopping experience.[1] The cross-border e-commerce market between Japan and the U.S. continues to expand. According to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, purchases of Japanese products from the U.S. are expected to reach approximately JPY 1.6 trillion in 2024, up 8.0% from the previous year.[2] In addition, the U.S. media and entertainment market is the largest in the world, exceeding JPY 90 trillion, and related categories are also expected to continue growing.[3] 4 Mercari Japan's cross-border transaction business has grown rapidly, with gross merchandise value (GMV) increasing more than 15-fold over the past three years to exceed JPY 90 billion annually.[5] With the launch of Mercari Japan, Mercari Japan aims to become the leading cross-border marketplace for entertainment and hobby items from Japan. | 1. Results of US market research and user surveys conducted by Mercari Japan | | 2. "FY2024 E-Commerce Market Survey Report", METI (only available in Japanese) (https://www.meti.go.jp/press/2025/08/20250826005/20250826005-a.pdf) | | 3. "Survey Results on the Size of the Media and Entertainment Market in Japan and the World and Overseas Sales of Japanese Content in 2024" (only available in Japanese) (https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000045.000007447.html) | | 4. "Anime Merchandising Market Report, 2024", Grand View Research. The market is projected to grow from approximately 10.8 billion USD in 2024 to approximately 18.7 billion USD in 2030. | | 5. Mercari Japan FY2025.6 Q4 Financial Results Presentation Materials, page 36 (https://pdf.irpocket.com/C4385/hGOm/QABk/Snp2.pdf) | Overview of the Mercari Japan app Mercari Japan makes it easy for buyers in the U.S. to shop for items from Mercari and Mercari Shops in Japan. By reducing barriers such as language, payment, and purchasing complexity, the app helps users discover great deals on authentic and rare products from Japan. - Feature 1: Direct access to Japan's largest marketplace The Mercari Japan app gives international buyers access to a vast selection of rare and unique items from Mercari, Japan's largest marketplace with more than 4 billion total listings, as well as inventory from Mercari Shops. This extensive selection creates a sense of discovery while shopping.[6] In December 2025, Mercari began offering items from Suruga-ya, a leading Japanese gaming and collectibles retailer known for its extensive inventory and expertise in authenticity verification, helping users shop with even greater confidence. - Feature 2: Mercari centrally manages the shipping process From payment to package tracking, the entire purchase experience is managed seamlessly in the new Mercari Japan app. Before final shipment, Mercari Japan inspects every item, and buyers can easily find in-app tracking to monitor delivery status and location, helping make cross-border shopping more transparent and reliable. - Feature 3: Lower-cost alternative to conventional cross-border purchases Users of the new Mercari Japan app can buy items directly from Mercari in Japan, avoiding intermediary proxy services and associated fees. - Feature 4: Shipping protection service included with all purchases The new Mercari Japan app includes shipping protection service for all items, giving shoppers added peace of mind in the event an item is damaged during international shipment. - Feature 5: A seamless shopping experience that breaks down barriers of language and currency In addition to real-time translation powered by AI, the Mercari Japan app supports payment in USD through U.S. payment services. Users can purchase items easily without the stress of language or currency differences. - Features planned for future implementation Looking ahead, Mercari Japan plans to roll out new features designed to help improve the security of international marketplace transactions and drive further growth in collectibles and gaming categories. * Authentication: an optional service where items are authenticated * Auction style listings and pre-order item feature * Features incorporating entertainment and gaming elements | 6. Mercari Reaches 4 Billion Cumulative Listings (only available in Japanese) (https://about.mercari.com/press/news/articles/20240911_4 billion/) | Campaign Overview To celebrate the launch of Mercari Japan, Siam News Network Limited will be running a promotion for customers in the United States. Campaign Period: June 18, 2026 - July 5, 2026 Details: Customers are eligible for a maximum of three coupons * 30% OFF first purchase coupon for new customers only (maximum discount: $25) * 25% OFF trading cards category only coupon (maximum discount: $20) * 20% OFF sitewide coupon (maximum discount: $15) With the launch of the new Mercari Japan app in the U.S., Mercari Japan is creating a dedicated destination for American shoppers to discover, browse, and buy items from Japan. Overview of Mercari Japan Company Name: Mercari, Inc. Location: Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-6125, Japan Main Business Activities: Planning, development, and operation of the Mercari marketplace app Representative: Shintaro Yamada For information about using the Mercari logo and icon, please see the page below. https://about.mercari.com/en/press/press-kit/mercari/ The information provided in this article was created by Cision PR Newswire, its news partner. The author's opinions and the content shared on this page are their own and may not necessarily represent the perspectives of Siam News Network. Jun 18, 2026 Reading Time 5 min. Latest PR news. Jun 18, 2026

Mercari names Jeff LeBeau US CEO as marketplace turnaround continues. Published: Jun 13 2026 Updated: Jun 13 2026 Mercari is making another change at the top of its US marketplace, naming Jeff LeBeau Chief Executive Officer of Mercari US, effective July 1, 2026. LeBeau is currently Vice President of Growth at Mercari US and will take over from Shintaro Yamada, who stepped in to directly lead the US business in January 2025 after former US CEO John Lagerling resigned at the end of 2024. Yamada will continue leading the overall Mercari Group as Representative Executive Officer and CEO, while LeBeau takes the reins of the US marketplace at a pivotal point in the company's turnaround. Mercari says the new management structure is intended to accelerate decision making and business execution as the company adapts to changes brought about by advances in AI and aims for further growth in its US business. Mercari US has spent the last two years trying to recover from poor performance and a disastrous 2024 fee strategy rolled out under previous leadership that shifted the cost burden away from sellers and onto buyers. That change may have boosted the number of listings on the site, but it failed to deliver the buyer and GMV results Mercari had hoped for, leading to widespread user complaints, abandoned cart concerns, a mass layoff of 45% of US staff, and eventually Lagerling's resignation. Yamada's direct oversight coincided with a major course correction in January 2025, when Mercari moved to a new fee structure that split costs between buyers and sellers. The reversal appears to have helped stabilize the business. Mercari US reported its first-ever full-year profit for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, posting a full-year profit of 900 million JPY after years of losses since launching in the US in 2014. More recent results showed US GMV rising 12% year over year to about $196 million in the quarter, while the business held to break-even profitability with a modest core operating profit of 600 million JPY, though slower user growth continues to be a key constraint on the US business. LeBeau's challenge will be turning financial discipline into stronger buyer demand, improved retention, and renewed seller confidence without reigniting the fee and trust issues that helped push users away in the first place. Mercari has been leaning into category-specific growth, CRM-driven coupons, seller tools, safety improvements, and discovery updates as it works to rebuild momentum. Entertainment and hobby categories, especially trading cards and collectibles, have continued to show strength, while fashion has become a larger part of the US strategy through efforts like the Fashion Exchange pilot and shipping improvements aimed at lowering barriers for secondhand clothing purchases. The opportunity is clear, but so is the competition. eBay, Poshmark, Depop, Vinted, and others are all fighting for overlapping resale dollars in collectibles, fashion, and other key categories. Mercari has now shown it can cut costs, recalibrate fees, and move the US business closer to consistent profitability, but it still has to prove it can win back active buyers at scale. LeBeau's background in product, analytics, business operations, and growth could be what Mercari US needs to improve conversion, personalization, category experience, buyer trust, and repeat usage. What do you think of Jeff LeBeau taking over as Mercari US CEO? Are you seeing stronger sales or buyer activity on the platform, or does Mercari still have more work to do to win back buyers and sellers? Let Value Added Resource LLC know in the comments below! Liz Morton is a 17 year ecommerce pro turned indie investigative journalist providing ad-free deep dives on eBay, Amazon, Etsy & more, championing sellers & advocating for corporate accountability.