Majestic is the UK’s largest specialist wine retailer, with no fewer than 208 stores. And it has transformed itself in the five years since it separated from Naked Wines following its sale to Fortress Investment Group. Last week the company announced the departure of its chief operating officer Rob Cooke, who was responsible for key areas of the business including trading, customer and commercial.
Physical presence
Since 2019 Majestic has opened 17 new stores, and is accelerating its store opening programme in a commitment to bricks and mortar. It’s good news for wine lovers who prefer to browse the wine aisles rather than order online. And to do so with expert guidance rather than in most supermarkets, where wine advice is hard to come by. Majestic has always been known for its knowledgeable and passionate staff, who all undergo Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) training and love nothing more than helping customers discover something new.
Not resting on its laurels, last month (April) the business rescued wine retail and bar business Vagabond from administration, seeing an opportunity to connect with a younger demographic of wine consumers ‘in an experiential environment’.
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Ordering online
Buyers who prefer to shop online can order via the Majestic website, of course. And the retailer has also joined forces with Uber Eats to provide on-demand deliveries – giving customers access to the Majestic wines in currently 177 stores, for delivery in as little as 20 minutes.
Majestic’s e-commerce sales accounted for more than 20% of revenue in 2022/23, buoyed by the popularity of its Shop Local proposition. This service enables customers to shop the stock available at their local store, in real time, for free collection within four hours (if you order before 3pm) or next-day home delivery.
Definition by Majestic
The retailer’s Definition by Majestic own-label range featured prominently in the spring/summer 2024 press tasting, after being relaunched at the beginning of this month. The Definition range was first launched in 2015, and aims to capture the quintessential qualities of the world’s greatest wine styles, and make them accessible to all wine lovers. The range sits above – and generally offers more excitement and individuality than – the Chosen by Majestic range, which was launched last year.
There are currently 23 wines in the Definition range, with another 12 to come before the end of the year. They really do succeed in offering textbook examples of classic styles, and are a good starting point for wine lovers looking to broaden their horizons. The relaunch involved a review of the entire line-up by the buying team, who conducted a blind benchmarking exercise. Any Definition wines not deemed best in class in the blind tasting were re-sourced or re-blended.
The Definition wines are made by some of world’s leading estates, and these are now displayed on the front label, a logical move given that these names are a strong selling point. Producers include South African winery Kanonkop, behind the Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon; Peyrassol, who make the Côtes de Provence rosé; Domaine Figeat André (Pouilly-Fumé) and Zuccardi (Uco Valley Malbec).
National Wine Retailer of the Year
In October, Majestic scooped the National Wine Retailer of the year award in Decanter’s 2023 Retailer Awards (DRA), for the third year running.
Commenting on this win, the DRA judges said: ‘It’s so encouraging to see Majestic getting back to where it belongs as a key player in nationwide UK retail. More shops, revamped wine ranges, charitable endeavours, excellent buyers, the focus on value and sustainability – very impressive.’
The retailer was also voted winner in the Loire Specialist category, and runner-up for Wine Buying Team.
The dual pricing system on wines remains, whereby higher, single bottle prices apply where customers buy up to five bottles at any one time. When customers buy six or more bottles (any mix of bottles is fine), the lower mix-six price applies. There is sometimes a considerable difference between the two prices, and the single-bottle prices often seem a little high, so it really is worth waiting until you want to buy at least six bottles before visiting Majestic (or its website, which operates the same pricing policy).
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Top picks from Majestic’s current range:
The recommendations that follow are a mix of new wines and new vintages tasted by Amy Wislocki in May 2024 at Majestic’s Spring/Summer 2024 press tasting in London, and wines tasted by the Decanter tastings team at previous press tastings that are still available. All bottle prices are correct at time of publication.
All prices listed below are single-bottle prices. There are savings to be made, sometimes significant, when you buy a minimum of six bottles (any mix). The mix-six prices are given within the individual tasting notes.