When Woolworths closed its doors for the last time in the new year, there was little doubt as to which of its product lines would be most sorely missed.

The 'Pick and Mix' counter quickly became the sad symbol of Woolies' demise, prompting a wailing and a gnashing of (decayed) teeth from children and nostalgia-seeking adults alike. But if you're already missing your cheap sugar rush, you'll be pleased to hear that you can now find jazzies, snowies, pear drops and all their other old favourites right here on the internet, as the Woolworth's brand has just begun trading as an online business, complete with its own Pick 'n' Mix.

So does this mean is Woolworths back from the dead?While the new website is branded to look very much like the stores it replaced, there've been some fundamental changes behind the scenes, so this won't quite be a return to the Woolies we once knew. After Woolworths went into administration in January, it was bought by Shop Direct Home Shopping, which reportedly paid administrators between £5 and £10m for the brand name. So far, the new 'streamlined' version of the store includes many of the more successful product lines of the original, such as the Ladybird children's clothing range and mobile phone deals.

Going online is now seen as a safe and sensible way for struggling businesses to survive, and Woolworths now follows in the footsteps of other well-known brands such as Littlewoods, men's mag Maxim and Ravel shoes: Littlewoods, once a high street pariah, is now thriving on its internet incarnation, having become one of the UK's largest web retailers.

Far from being a high street graveyard, the internet can be seen as a saviour for businesses that can no longer survive in an age of armchair shopping, or for new ones that are just getting started. So if you're looking to set up a retail business, online is now seen as the first choice location. Advantages to trading exclusively online include:

• Low overheads: you won't need to rent commercial premises, which can be punishingly expensive, especially when heating and lighting costs are added into the mix
  
• You'll need to pay far fewer staff, and possibly won't need any besides yourself and/or your partner for the first few years
  
• With trading platforms like Ebay, Amazon and Etsy already in place, setting up shop is as easy as following instructions, picking templates and uploading images.
  
• Marketing is easier online, as potential customers from all over the world have a window into your business. You'll need to get clued-up on Search Engine Optimisation and other forms of self-promotion, but there's a lot of information out there to help you get up to speed.