A former high street retailer has been relaunched as an online shopping website.

Former high street staple Woolworths has been given a new lease of life online by Shop Direct Group.

In a move that could boost the number of parcel deliveries across the UK, Woolworths.co.uk is set to specialise in four of the former retailers best-known product offerings - toys, children's clothing, entertainment and party goods.

Mark Newton-Jones, chief executive of Shop Direct Group, said the company talked to families about what they would like to see on sale through the website and discovered they wanted the brand to re-emerge as soon as possible.

"From acquiring the brand to launching it has only been 20 weeks; something you could never achieve with a high street business but can do online," he explained.

"We're aiming to create a fun, family web experience which keeps on getting better and better."

Recent research by PayPal predicted that online retail spend in the UK is set to grow 137 per cent to £23.1 billion in the next two years.

Article Added: 26/06/2009 09:21:39