Thai hypermarket chain Big C has broadened its place in the e-commerce arena with the creation of a pure e-commerce player in Asean.

Big C has partnered with Cdiscount, the leader in e-commerce in France, and with Casino Vietnam to launch shopping websites in Thailand and Vietnam under the Cdiscount brand.

The launch of the websites is expected within the coming weeks in both countries.

The e-commerce venture will enrich Big C’s multi-channel strategy and complement its existing website Big C Shopping Online, allowing the company to increase its footprint on markets where e-commerce initiates its growth.

“We see a lot of opportunities in e-commerce in Thailand, which is worth 130 billion baht ($3.9 billion), and the number of pure operators is still small, ” said the company in a statement.

Big C and Casino Vietnam are both under the umbrella of French hypermarket chain Casino Group.