Iceland will re-open its online store, which was closed six years ago, following rising demand from customers.

The discounter was a pioneer of online shopping after opening its online shop back in 1996, but the company chose to close the option in 2006 following low profits and the break-up of Iceland's then owner, the Big Food Group.

"Now, most of our customers have computers and it seems a logical thing to do," explained chief executive Malcolm Walker.

The key to Iceland's website, added Walker, will be a "Fisher-Price" level of simplicity. A pilot project is planned for early 2013 and the business will only be launched once the website is approved by Walker.

Walker concluded: "The secret, of course, is that we have already got 80 per cent of the infrastructure in place.

We have got the 'picking' centres, which is 800 stores; we have got 1,200 home delivery vehicles, making 170,000 deliveries a week; and there are the customers who buy in-store and have the products delivered."

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