Construction of a global merchandise trading center will begin in October this year in Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu province, according to Chic Group, a Milan-based commercial investment company.

Chic is investing $870 million in the project, which will be located in Nanjing's Pukou district, and aims to become an international merchandise warehouse and distribution center.

The new facility will include luxury imported brands, such as Prada and Gucci, foods, furniture, automobiles and high-end hotels, providing online-to-offline services.

The trading platform, the first global merchandise direct selling center in Jiangsu, also will supply goods to most provinces in China, according to the company.

Chic will boost its presence by developing 100 more projects in China in the near future, with the annual trade value of the Nanjing headquarters designed to reach 96 billion yuan.

Since entering China in 2009, Chic has so far developed more than 20 projects in the country, with the current trade value reaching more than 8 billion yuan annually.