AIOI PLANS MOTOR INSURANCE JOINT VENTURES

Japan-based insurer Aioi has begun talks with locally based video store operator Culture Convenience Club (CCC) and venture capital firm SBI Holdings to create joint ventures for the sale of motor insurance, reports Nihon Keizai Shimbun . It said that CCC and SBI would be making announcements early this week. CCC operates the Tsutaya chain of video stores, with about 18m members. Its joint venture with Aioi would sell through Tsutaya’s 1,250 stores. SBI would sell motor insurance at its online brokerage E*Trade Securities. Aioi will offer product development and marketing expertise.