Central Retail Corporation has announced plans to double its online sales to THB10bn ($315.76mn) this year. The firm intends to lead in the omni-channel e-commerce business. Central intends to launch an omnichannel platform of services distinctive from those of Lazada, Alibaba and Shopee, whereby the company will retail products and services both at physical stores and online. Central will assist partner brands who lack the resources to build their presence in the marketplace. It will launch the first such marketplaces for Central Department Store, PowerBuy and SuperSports within the next six months. For apparel, Central will launch a "Reserve and Collect" service that allows buyers to reserve two or more sizes or colours of products online and choose which to buy after trying them in-store. The move is part of the firm's considerable investment in technology, teams and new services in the hopes of taking the lead in the e-commerce business by 2021.