NURSERY products company Mamas & Papas has signed a ground-breaking deal with an online fashion retailer.

The award-winning Colne-bridge-based firm is selling its maternity fashion lines through Shop Direct Group’s brand channels – including new fast-fashion online channel Very.co.uk

The deal extends the availability of Mamas & Papas products – which are already sold though its 50 stores worldwide and on its own website.

Mamas & Papas posted a 28% rise in maternity fashion sales between February and June this year.

Karen Tyler, the firm’s director of clothing, said: “The partnership with Shop Direct Group will promote Mamas & Papas maternity fashion across all their channels, including their Very.co.uk brand.”

She said: “Very.co.uk especially is ‘fashion-right-now’ focused.

“As a maternity brand that puts fashion at the heart of what we do, the partnership with Mamas & Papas is perfect for the customer looking for affordable catwalk trends at a click.”

The Mamas & Papas range will be available across the Shop Direct Group of channels from February, 2010.

The maternity fashion lines will include denim, everyday wear, swimwear, occasion wear, work wear as well as lounge and sleep wear.

The move comes as latest research suggests that the maternity fashion market in the UK is set to grow by 5% over the next five years – reflecting forecasts that the country’s population will grow by 0.7% in each of those years.

Mamas & Papas, headed by husband and wife David and Luisa Scacchetti, was formed in 1981 and employs 1,500 staff in the UK.

The firm was named as one of 10 companies to watch in The Sunday Times PricewaterhouseCoopers Profit Track 100 Awards.

David and Luisa were named Business Personalities of the Year in the 2008 Examiner Business Awards while the company was named Best Maternity Brand in the Prima High Street Fashion Awards 2008.

Mamas & Papas operates 50 stores worldwide and exports to independent retailers, premium department stores and distributors in more than 35 countries.

Shop Direct Group is the UK’s largest online and home shopping retailer with sales of about £1.7bn a year.

It is the second largest online clothing retailer in the UK with 5m active customers and 10,000 employees.