Accenture buys Japanese ecommerce specialist Businet System

As part of a major M&A campaign at the start of 2021, Accenture has bolstered its footprint in Japan with the acquisition of Businet System.

The deal sees a team of 40 employees join Accenture’s ranks, integrated into its Interactive division. “This acquisition strengthens our ecommerce services, from strategy to system design, development and operation, to help our clients grow their businesses,” said Atsushi Egawa, who leads Accenture in Japan.

Founded in 1999, Businet System specialises in building and operating ecommerce sites, with a focus on clients in the domestic apparel and retail industries. The IT consulting firm also helps its clients with integrating the ecommerce platforms it builds with larger ERP systems such as Salesforce Commerce Cloud.

According to Egawa, the bolt-on provides Accenture with deep capabilities in one of the fastest growing segments in the IT consultancy landscape. “As Covid-19 continues to drive lifestyle changes, consumer purchasing behaviour is undergoing a major shift. To better understand consumer needs and gain a competitive advantage, retailers need to provide more personalised experiences by digitising the customer interface across a variety of devices.”

This is where Businet System comes in. Combined with Accenture’s broader creative capabilities within Interactive, and digital and technology build capabilities within Digital, the consulting giant will now be able to offer its clients an end-to-end offering in ecommerce-based digital transformation, said Egawa. 

Brian Whipple, the CEO of Accenture Interactive added: “The acquisition of Businet System further underscores our commitment to helping our clients navigate the complexities of digital commerce today, which will continue to be of utmost importance for our clients’ growth.”

Akio Nakada, the CEO of Businet System, said on behalf of his firm that the team is looking forward to join Accenture. “By combining our 20-year track record of building and operating ecommerce sites with Accenture’s experience-driven capabilities, we are confident that we will be better able to help our clients.” 

In Japan, Accenture has approximately 15,000 employees working from offices in Tokyo (multiple offices), Osaka, Fukushima, Kumamoto, Hokkaido, Fukuoka and Yokohama.

Globally, the deal is Accenture’s fourth this year, following the acquisitions of cloud consultancy Imaginea and change management consultancy Future State in the US, and cybersecurity consultancy Real Protectin Brazil.