The nation's largest retail chain operator, Daiei Inc., plans to start a nationwide home delivery service for merchandise ordered via the Internet, it was learned Thursday.

For the delivery service, to be called "net-super," the company may tie up with Fujitsu Ltd. to establish a system of placing and receiving orders, and with Nippon Express to create a delivery network. The net-super service will greatly differ from other e-commerce services in terms of the range of goods handled. The new service will include such daily necessities as toilet paper and shampoo, and the goods ordered will be delivered the same day or the day after the order is placed. Daiei, which has been restructuring its management, plans to differentiate itself from other supermarkets as quickly as possible to give itself an edge over convenience stores in the e-commerce field. The company tentatively plans to initially operate the service in a limited area by the end of this year and to gradually expand it to other areas. Customers will be able to choose goods from lists on various Web sites, and the company will check the stock at nearby stores and delivery centers after the orders are received. Its group company, Lawson, a major convenience-store chain, is considering an e-commerce tie-up with Mitsubishi Corp., with which it has secured a capital partnership. Sources said Daiei is already negotiating with Lawson and Mitsubishi to create a unified Net business that would transcend sector boundaries. Since Lawson is to sell leisure goods, such as music and game software, Daiei plans to handle daily necessities and preserved foods, such as soy beans and soy sauce.