Majestic, the UK’s largest specialist wine retailer, has toasted a deal to become a nationwide bricks and mortar partner for beer keg retailer PerfectDraft, helping its customers recreate the experience of enjoying pub quality draft beer from the comfort of their own homes.
The tie-up will see Majestic stock a range of PerfectDraft’s best-selling six-litre kegs – Camden Hells, Camden Pale Ale, Leffe Blonde, Stella Artois and Corona – in 192 of its stores across England, Scotland and Wales, as it continues its drive to enhance the depth and quality of its wine, beer and spirits ranges.
Majestic plans to add additional PerfectDraft products to its growing beer proposition on a seasonal basis, with a focus on events that are popular with its customers, such as Dry January and Oktoberfest. The retailer will also sell PerfectDraft at-home draught beer machines via majestic.co.uk and in selected Majestic stores. The machines chill beer kegs to 3°C and keep them fresh for 30 days. It means customers will be able to pour pub quality pints at home from as little as £2.85 per pint.
Majestic is giving shoppers the option to return all empty kegs – regardless of where they have been purchased from – to participating Majestic stores, ready to be re-used, re-filled and re-sold. As an incentive to return empty kegs, Majestic will reward its customers with a ‘£5 off’ voucher to redeem against future purchases of PerfectDraft products.
The retailer’s partnership with PerfectDraft – part of Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I – comes as it seeks to build on its impressive beer performance, having recorded 3.9% sales growth in the category during 2023/24. The retailer also enjoyed a bumper summer of beer sales as customers stocked up for major sporting events including Euro 2024 and the Olympic Games.
Majestic has invested heavily in improving and diversifying its product proposition since its split from Naked Wines plc and subsequent acquisition by Fortress Investment Group in 2019. Following the reintroduction of former management, Majestic’s Buying Team have won multiple awards from International Wine Challenge, The Drinks Business and Drinks Retailing, while its wines have scooped dozens of prestigious prizes. It is now building a similar reputation in beers and spirits, through an ongoing strategic drive to broaden and premiumise its ranges.
Majestic Buyer Jono Tiffany, who is responsible for the beer category, said: “We’re delighted to be introducing PerfectDraft to our beer proposition at Majestic. We know our customers are increasingly looking to re-create the ‘perfect serve’ of their favourite drinks at home, whether that be wines, beers or cocktails, and PerfectDraft are absolute specialists in this space. We can’t wait to kickstart and grow this exciting partnership.”
Chris Kitching, PerfectDraft UK director at Budweiser Brewing Group, says: “We are thrilled at PerfectDraft to be partnering with Majestic, a high-end market leader in the BWS space, to expand the availability of our machines and kegs. Not only will this make our products even more accessible for our current community, but it will also provide Majestic customers with the opportunity to elevate their at-home beer experience.”
