It said that Primark has chosen an expanded range of products for the trial, which will take place in up to 25 stores in the northwest of England.

The range includes about 2,000 items across clothing, accessories and lifestyle products.

The trial will begin towards the end of the year.

Associated British Foods said that it believes click and collect has the potential to satisfy unfulfilled demand and drive footfall from existing and new customers.

Sarah Riding, retail partner at the law firm Gowling WLG, said: "While any sort of retail expansion carries a level of risk at the moment, Primark's foray into this revenue stream is long overdue.

"However, given that their store-based footfall has defied expectations where driving high revenue is concerned, the captive audience on standby for this service seems to be better guaranteed for them than others.

"It will therefore be interesting to see how wide a net Primark casts when introducing more variety for this service as the fortunes of the trial emerge."

The news comes as Associated British Foods, which owns sugar, grocery, agriculture and ingredients businesses, reported a 32% increase in revenue for its third quarter ending 28 May.

Sales in its food businesses increased by 10%, while sales at Primark were up 81% compared to the same period in 2021, when stores were closed until the middle of April due to pandemic-related restrictions.

The group said it expects "significant progress" in its full-year adjusted operating profit and adjusted earnings per share.