TOKYO -- Telecom giant KDDI will merchandise life insurance plans for Lifenet Insurance at its mobile phone shops as part of efforts to increase subscriber retention by offering bundle deals.
The company plans to kick this off by the summer and expand the marketing to 2,500 stores across the country. Clerks at KDDI's au mobile shops will show waiting customers the e-commerce site of Lifenet on tablet computers, offering an opportunity to sign up right there.
By extending perks to those who become customers of both the mobile phone service and life insurance -- sold in long-term contracts -- KDDI seeks to enhance customer retention, which it considers a key to stabilizing earnings amid slowing growth of the telecom market in Japan.
KDDI's mobile phone shops introduced a similar service for purchasing foods and home items last August, and will also sell electricity starting this April, when the country's power retail market opens up. The company, which formed a capital and operational partnership with Lifenet, a pioneer online life insurer, seeks to reap synergies by offering a broad array of services at its mobile outlets.
(Nikkei)
