Marks & Spencer is to sell iconic lingerie brand Wonderbra from the beginning of December and the start of the party season.

It's another in a line of clothing brands being sold alongside the retailer's own brands and a further indication of its change of direction  to keep relevant with shoppers.

The Wonderbra offer goes online with a specific focus on lingerie for partywear.

Neil Harrison, director of guest brands at M&S, said: "We've very proud to be the nation's biggest lingerie retailer - offering our loyal customers the best in comfort, quality, style and value. Adding complementary brands, such as Sloggi, Triumph and now Wonderbra is an exciting way we can offer our customers even more choice when they shop with us online."

M&S Clothing & Home reports strong initial sales from its offer of other brands. On M&S.com the average online basket size for brands is more than twice the average, with brands contributing around 3.5% of total online sales in the first half of the year.

Shoppers are also returning more frequently, with traffic on M&S.com increasing and new customers who buy into a guest brand returning to make their second purchase nearly ten days sooner than those who didn't buy into brands.

M&S started selling third-party brands in October last year, with the eco-brand Nobody's Child, since acquiring a 25% share in the brand.

M&S now trades with over 30 partners from Sloggi lingerie to Ghost dresses to Clarks school shoes.