Woolworths bought by Shop Direct Group

Woolworths will be relaunched as an online store after the brand was bought by Shop Direct Group owners the Barclay brothers.

The Barclay brothers have also bought Woolworths' childrenswear brand Ladybird from the administrator, which will be sold on a new dedicated website woolworths.co.uk from this summer.

Shop Direct Group chief executive Mark Newton-Jones said: "We are delighted to be re-launching the Woolworths name online. Woolworths is a much loved brand that engenders huge affection among British consumers and is an important part of the country's retail heritage. In what will be Woolworths' 100th year, we are proud to be reviving the brand for future generations."

He added: "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."

The Woolworths and Ladybird brands will be run alongside Shop Direct Group's other brands including Littlewoods, Empire and Great Universal.

www.retail-week.com