Online fashion retailer Asos is expected to launch its childrenswear business, called Little Asos, this afternoon.

The debut range will comprise about 500 lines. The number will double within the next few months and the launch is likely to drive up active customer numbers and further raise Asos’s profile.

Analyst Matthew McEachran of Singer Capital Markets, the e-tailer’s house broker, said: “Maternity was launched last year.

Combined with the childrenswear offer, Asos has the opportunity to transform its customer mix and build further on the branding work done to date, which itself continues to attract slightly older and more affluent customers than its traditional mix.”