Japanese retail powerhouse Seven & I Holdings says it will provide same-day delivery of products its group brands sell online.

Seven & I operates Ito-Yokado supermarkets, and the Sogo and Seibu department stores, all of which now offer eCommerce websites.

From next year customers in Tokyo will be able to receive their purchases the same day they order them. If the system works well, other cities will be progressively included in the program.

Alternatively, customers will be able to opt to have their deliveries sent to one of its 7000 7-Eleven convenience store near their homes and not pay a delivery fee, a reliable source within Seven & I told the Japan Times newspaper.

Shoppers outside Tokyo will receive their deliveries via Nissen Holding, a mail order business Seven & I purchased early this year, the newspaper reported.