John Lewis has relaunched its online fashion site and expects the channel to provide the group with a significant sales uplift.

The site's makeover included enhancements in the search engine, and fashion pages featuring drop-down menus with product information in a grid format.

The firm expects the new fashion web site to generate £70m by 2011. Fashion sales represent approximately six per cent of the retailer's total sales online and their goal is to grow the figure by 30 per cent this year.

Reports suggest that the budget for the new web site, which took eight months to be developed, was £750,000.

The revamped site offers more than 200 fashion and beauty brands including Lulu Guinness, Mulberry, Ralph Lauren, and Orla Kiely.

"Fashion online is one of the biggest business opportunities for John Lewis over the next three years and there will be a significant change in our customers' shopping experience online," said John Lewis Direct managing director Robin Terrell.

"We want to mirror and exceed the growth that we've achieved in fashion in our 27 branches, and ensure all the great niche brands in our stores are available to a much broader audience."