Discount retailer, Poundland, has entered the e-commerce market this week, announcing the launch of its official site from which customers will be able to order affordable items without having to visit one of its high street stores.

The Telegraph reports that free delivery is only available on orders with a value of £50 or more, although any customer who does not want to spend this much will only be charged £4 for delivery, irrespective of the items being purchased.

Poundland not only sells individual products, but also has a number of bulk deals which let people buy a significant number of items via safe shopping online when they need to stock up on household essentials.

A total of 2,000 different items are for sale on the site as the trial gets underway, with Poundland chief exec, Jim McCarthy, stating that this move is the next stage in the firm’s ambitious plans for expansion, which also included it taking over fellow budget chain, 99p Stores, last month.

With more than 600 bricks and mortar outlets, Poundland has become a popular presence on UK high streets. And now that it is selling items via safe shopping online, it could be a threat to a whole new range of retailers, rather than those merely targeting customers with physical stores.

Of course, those who regularly shop online will be well aware that Poundland is not going to be the only retailer offering discounts on big brand products, which may mean that the company takes a little while to build momentum. But of course, there are few retailers which can afford to ignore the importance of the e-commerce market at the moment and so the arrival of budget stores like this is inevitable, as the UK’s online shopping industry expands.