TORONTO -- Discount retailer Walmart says it will soon offer premium Lord & Taylor fashion brands on its American website.

Walmart says the flagship Lord & Taylor online department store is expected to launch on Walmart.com in spring 2018.

Spokeswoman Denise Incandela says the company's goal is to create a premium fashion destination as the chain's customers are searching its website for higher-end items.

She says Walmart is starting with fashion as it expands its online business to include specialized and premium shopping experiences.

The company says Lord & Taylor will be able to reach exponentially more shoppers through a dedicated store on Walmart's website and app than through its own online presence.

The Hudson's Bay Co. (TSX:HBC) acquired Lord & Taylor, an American department store founded in 1826 that now has 50 locations in the U.S., in 2012.