MAIL order giant Fine Art, which has its main warehousing operations in East Lancashire, has unveiled a major home shopping tie-up.

The firm, parent company of Express Gifts of Clayton-le-Moors and Church, has signed a deal to work with the Co-operative Wholesale Society to give a trial to a non-food home shopping catalogue.

CWS operates a network of more than 1,100 stores throughout the country with sales of £5billion.

The Co-op Direct 2000 catalogue will sell products including electrical items, clothing and gardening equipment which will be distributed through Fine Art's facilities.

"The aim of the trial is to gauge the demand for non-food home shopping particularly amongst those who do not have access to an extensive range of Co-op non food products in a nearby store," said Tony Robertson, marketing and planning manager for CWS Retail's non-food operation. The deal is the latest to be announced this year by Fine Art Developments following two contracts to handle orders placed over the internet for Pets at Home and freecom.net.

The firm has also recently set up a joint venture company with freecom.net plc.