Woolworths brand reborn online

The new Woolworths web site will offer items that were popular in the high street

The Woolworths brand has been resurrected online by home shopping firm Shop Direct following the bankruptcy of the high-street retailer earlier this year.

Popular product categories such as toys, children's clothing, party and entertainment goods are available on the web site, as is an online version of the famous “pic n’mix” sweets.

The new Woolworths internet shop was re-launched in around 20 weeks from the acquisition of the brand by Shop Direct, a deal in which the Barclay brothers, owners of The Daily Telegraph were also said to be interested.

Former Woolworths kids clothing brand Ladybird is also set to be revived under the new web operation, which is reportedly expected to turn profit in its first full-year of operation.

Earlier this year, Shop Direct chief executive Mark Newton-Jones told the BBC that he was confident about Woolworths' future.

"This is great news and we are confident that Woolworths, as an online brand, will once again prosper and quite rightly stay at the heart of British retailing," he said.