Majestic, the UK’s largest specialist wine retailer, has lifted the lid on a new small store concept in Harpenden as it trials innovative new ways of expanding its bricks-and-mortar presence.
The 1,800 sq ft unit is less than half the size of the average Majestic shop, and will allow the business to test a fresh approach to reaching communities in key target areas of the UK. Situated in the heart of Harpenden High Street, a three-minute walk from Harpenden train station, the store is perfectly placed to serve walk-in customers picking up a bottle on their way home from work.
Shoppers will also be able to take advantage of free local delivery, with the store’s own van delivering directly to customers’ homes.
The store will carry a carefully curated range of more than 600 wines – including a dedicated area for 72 Fine Wines – in addition to beers, spirits and no or low alcohol alternatives. Majestic has used sales data from existing stores in its portfolio to ensure it optimises the range across all key categories, including Champagne, Sparkling, Spain, Italy and Burgundy.
Majestic’s highly trained colleagues will host free wine tastings seven days a week from the in-store Tasting Counter, offering customers the opportunity to try a selection of wines before they buy, receive tasting notes and expert advice.
Harpenden marks the fifth new store opening by Majestic during its 2022/23 financial year, following launches in Haywards Heath, Godalming, Stafford and Preston. Majestic plans to open a further eight new shops during the next 12 months – including sites in Banstead, Saltash, Thame and Truro – as part of a wider aim to add more than 20 branches to its portfolio.
The expansion plan underlines Majestic’s renewed focus on bricks-and-mortar retail following its split from Naked Wines plc in 2019. Since then, following the reintroduction of former management and with the backing of owners Fortress Investment Group, Majestic has returned to growth and stability. Majestic Commercial – the on-trade arm of Majestic – has also celebrated a post-pandemic recovery with more than 400 new bars, pubs and restaurants signed up during the past year.
Majestic CEO John Colley said: “We are delighted to be opening our doors in Harpenden – a location we have had our eye on for some time. Everyone at Majestic is looking forward to serving the local community and bringing our expert wine knowledge to the town.
“The trial of this smaller format offers us an exciting opportunity to serve our customers in new ways and cater for a number of different shopping missions. The lessons we learn in Harpenden will be invaluable as we look to further grow our store estate.
“This marks the fifth and final new Majestic store opening of our financial year, following the incredible response of customers to our other new locations. The strong performance of those new shops, our existing estate, and our e-commerce and Commercial businesses means we head into what will be another challenging financial year with good trading momentum.”
