New York - Wesfarmers, the owners of the Australian division of US department store operator Target, has decided to accelerate the integration of its online retail brands and offline.

One year after acquiring Catch for 230 million dollars, Wesfarmers has taken a further step toward full integration of the e-commerce site into its department store division, launching thousands of Target Australia products - including fashion, items for home and toys for men, women and children - on the Catch website.

Target Australia bets on Catch online to reduce its dependence on offline

Marina Joanou, managing director of Target Australia, described the move as a "significant opportunity" to increase the digital presence of department stores and reach more customers. "This Kmart Group initiative reflects Target's vision to inspire families to live better by facilitating quality and style," Joanou said in a press release.

This move further responds to Wesfarmermers' strategy to expand Target's e-commerce while reducing the size of the retailer's store network in the Australian market.

The company recently announced plans to convert 10 to 40 large-format Target stores into Kmart stores, 52 Target Country stores into small-format Kmart stores. In addition, it will close between 10 and 25 large-format Target stores and 50 Target Country stores not suitable for conversion, after a review of the struggling chain, according to data from local media.

For his part, Peter Sauerborn, managing director of Catch, said the addition of Target products is just one more reason for consumers to shop with the online retailer, which has built a reputation for offering recognised brands with great discounts. With millions of products already available at Catch, the addition of Target's latest ranges of clothing, kids and babies, as well as home goods, toys and everything in between, is just another great reason for shoppers to make Catch. .com.au your online shopping destination, "Sauerborn said in a press release.