As the UK's number one specialist wine retailer, we're making a splash.
Here's a selection of our latest industry awards and press headlines.
Industry recognition
IWC Industry Awards 2024
Large Multiple Retailer of the Year
Majestic Wine
French Specialist
of the Year
Majestic Wine
Rose Retailer
of the Year
Majestic Wine
Drink Business Awards 2024
Multiple Retailer of the Year
Majestic Wine
Retail Buying Team of the Year
Majestic Wine
On-Trade Supplier of the Year
Majestic Wine
Consumer Campaign of the Year - Wine
Majestic Wine
Retail Week Awards 2024
The Happiest
Place to Work
Majestic Wine
Drinks Retailing Awards 2024
Drinks Buying Team
Majestic Wine
Decanter Retailer Awards 2023
Best National
Wine Retailer
Majestic Wine
Best Specialist Retailer - Loire
Majestic Wine
Best Buying Team
Runner-Up
Majestic Wine
Best Wine Buyer
Runner-Up
Elizabeth Kelly MW
IWC Industry Awards 2023
Buying Team
of the Year
Majestic Wine
Rosé Retailer
of the Year
Majestic Wine
Drinks Business Awards 2023
Retail Buying Team of the Year
Majestic Wine
Woman of the Year
Maria Lopez
Multiple Retailer
of the Year
Majestic Wine
Decanter Retailer Awards 2022
Best National
Wine Retailer
Majestic Wine
International Wine Challenge 2022
National Merchant
of the Year
Majestic Wine
Drinks Business Awards 2022
Retail Buying Team of the Year
Majestic Wine
Multiple Retailer
of the Year
Majestic Wine
Decanter Awards 2021
Gold
National Wine Retailer
USA Specialist
New Zealand Specialist
Silver
Australia
Southern France
Shortlisted
Buying Team of the Year
Drinks Business Awards 2021
Drinks Retailer
of the Year
Majestic Wine
Man of the Year
John Colley
In the press
03/10/2024
Majestic Commercial secures partnership with Macdonald Hotels & Resorts
Majestic Commercial, the rapidly growing on-trade arm of Majestic, signs a significant new deal with Macdonald Hotels & Resorts. The agreement will see Majestic Commercial supply still and sparkling wines to all 32 of the hotel group’s UK locations, including flagship destinations such as The Drumossie Hotel in Inverness and Bath Spa Hotel.
25/09/2024
Majestic partners with PerfectDraft to stock beer kegs
Majestic launches a nationwide partnership with Budweiser Brewing Group-owned PerfectDraft as it looks to tap into the at-home beer occasion. The range of six-litre kegs, which includes Camden Hells, Camden Pale Ale, Leffe Blonde, Stella Artois and Corona, will be available in 192 Majestic stores across England, Scotland and Wales.
23/08/2024
Majestic reports surging organic wine sales on eve of Organic September
Majestic reveals that its organic wine sales have almost doubled over the past year as availability and demand for wines in the planet-friendly category accelerated ahead of expectations. On the eve of Organic September, Majestic reported that sales of organic wines across its retail and on-trade supply businesses soared 94% during the 12 months to the end of July, compared to the same period the previous year.
25/07/2024
Majestic ramps up bricks-and-mortar expansion with fresh £1m investment
Majestic Wine ramps up its commitment to bricks and mortar with a fresh £1m investment in its store estate. The UK’s largest specialist wine retailer unveils the opening of two new stores, in East Dulwich and Brentwood, alongside two newly refurbished stores, in Stratford-upon-Avon and Bearsden, as part of moves to “expand and modernise” its estate.
09/07/2024
Majestic spies 125 locations to open ‘one new store per month’
Majestic releases a list of 125 cities, towns and villages across the UK that it is eyeing up for potential new store openings, as the retailer doubles down on its bricks-and-mortar expansion plans. Majestic aims to open one new store per month over the coming years, with headroom to add at least 50 new shops to its growing estate.
27/06/2024
Majestic appoints Elizabeth Newman as Commercial Director
Majestic names former Sainsbury's BWS Director Elizabeth Newman as its new Commercial Director. The appointment represents a significant addition to Majestic’s leadership team as the business seeks to accelerate its growth strategy across a number of key areas, including enhancing its product proposition and developing its customer loyalty capabilities.
03/06/2024
Majestic partners with Gophr on-demand delivery for 'Summer of Sport'
Majestic joins forces with on-demand courier specialist Gophr to enhance delivery services during the busy summer sports season. The collaboration provides Majestic’s retail and on-trade customers with same-day deliveries across the UK, following successful trials in London, Carlisle, Shrewsbury and Yeovil.
21/05/2024
Majestic picks up haul of major prizes at The Drinks Business Awards 2024
Majestic takes home five prestigious prizes from the Drinks Business Awards 2024 as judges recognise the progress made across a number of key areas. Majestic was crowned the winner in four categories - Multiple Retailer of the Year, Buying Team of the Year, On-Trade Supplier of the Year and Consumer Campaign of the Year - and received a special commendation in the Fine Wine Retailer of the Year category.
30/04/2024
Majestic toasts Channel Islands launch as it opens doors to Jersey store
Majestic kicks off its new financial year in style by opening the doors to its first-ever store in Jersey. The retailer launched its debut Channel Islands shop in The Powerhouse, on Queen’s Road. The store is the first in a tranche of openings Majestic is targeting in 2024/25 as part of its broader growth strategy to launch up to one new store per month.
05/04/2024
Majestic buys wine bar chain Vagabond from administration
Majestic completes a deal to acquire Vagabond Wines out of administration, saving nine of its wine bars from closure and securing 171 jobs. Majestic plans to invest in Vagabond for the long-term, with ambitions to open more wine bars where the right opportunities arise.
08/03/2024
Majestic opens new boutique wine store in Marlow
Majestic launches its latest small-format store in Marlow, perfectly timed for the Easter weekend festivities. This new outlet, nestled within the charming confines of Anglers Court on Spittal Street, marks a significant addition to Marlow’s retail landscape, joining forces with notable neighbours such as M&S Simply Food and Cook.
29/02/2024
Majestic creates a Buzz by striking exclusive partnership with Blake Lively’s drinks brands
Majestic wins the race to become the exclusive distributor of actress and entrepreneur Blake Lively’s drinks brands Betty Buzz and Betty Booze across England, Scotland and Wales. The new partnership will see Majestic add seven products from the Betty Buzz premium sparkling soda and Betty Booze ready-to-drink ranges to its retail proposition, and the offering it supplies through its fast-growing B2B division, Majestic Commercial.
09/01/2024
Majestic Wine toasts best-ever Christmas as consumers quaff fine wine
Majestic Wine toasts the best Christmas in its 43-year history as more than 60,000 customers shopped with the store for the first time. The wine retailer recorded an 8.1% uplift in total sales in the eight weeks to 25 December, with sales boosted by the opening of six new stores during the year.
21/12/2024
Majestic rewards staff with extra time off over Christmas and New Year period
Majestic rewards colleagues for their hard work during 2023 with additional time off during the Christmas and New Year period. The wine retailer reveals plans to close all 208 of its stores across England, Scotland and Wales for an extra day on 2nd January, in addition to Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
12/11/2023
Majestic Wine boss banks on bricks-and-mortar as it plots 50 more stores
Majestic CEO John Colley tells The Telegraph that stores will remain “sacrosanct” at the retailer as part of his growth plan, as he vows to double down on investment in bricks and mortar.
10/11/2023
Majestic Wine joins forces with Rest Less to attract vintage colleagues
Majestic Wine launches a new partnership with Rest Less, a digital platform for the over-50s, to attract a larger number of older colleagues into its growing workforce.
07/11/2023
Majestic launches newest small-format high street store in Crouch End
Majestic lifts the lid on its newest smaller format store, in Crouch End, North London. Taking lessons from its first small high street concept in Harpenden, which opened in April, Majestic Crouch End stocks the full range of more than 1,200 wines and is perfectly placed to serve walk-in customers picking up a bottle on their way home from work.
03/11/2023
Majestic Wine accelerates electric van roll-out
Majestic unveils plans to roll out 35 new Citroen eBerlingo and eDispatch electric vans by the end of 2023/24, as part of a broader pledge to transform its fleet of 216 delivery vans into fully electric vehicles by 2030. The move would strip out 5 million diesel-powered miles and 1.2 million kg of CO2 emissions every year - slashing the retailer's carbon footprint.
01/11/2023
Majestic expands on-trade ambitions with Craggy Range partnership
Majestic’s B2B division, Majestic Commercial, builds further momentum by sealing a sought-after deal to become the exclusive agent for Craggy Range in the UK on-trade. The partnership also sees seven Craggy Range wines return to shelves in Majestic stores after a seven-year absence.
26/10/2023
Majestic ramps up store expansion with two new openings in a week
Majestic accelerates its bricks-and-mortar expansion plans by launching new stores in Chippenham and Monmouth - the first time in a decade that the retailer has opened two new stores in the same week.
19/09/2023
Majestic pops the cork on its latest store in Newark
Majestic throws open the doors to its newest store - and its 205th in the UK - in Newark. The 2,900sq ft shop sits alongside M&S Food and B&Q on the popular Maltings Retail Park.
12/09/2023
Majestic launches biggest-ever festive recruitment drive
Majestic unveils plans to hire 200 new colleagues to work across its UK stores ahead of the Christmas trading period. The roles are a combination of permanent and temporary festive roles, and include drivers, sales assistants, assistant managers and trainee managers.
23/08/2023
Majestic organic wine sales jump 22% year on year
Majestic reports a jump in sales of organic wines and predicts that demand will double over the next three years as consumers increasingly engage with “planet-friendly purchases”.
11/08/2023
Jacqui Rouse, Majestic Wine: Driving engagement and retention
Majestic's People Director Jacqui Rouse tells Benefits Expert how she is creating an environment that drives high levels of employee engagement and retention.
10/08/2023
Majestic Wine teams up with Uber Eats to offer rapid booze delivery
Majestic joins forces with Uber Eats to offer customers access to hundreds of its award-winning wines, plus its growing range of beers and spirits, for delivery in as little as 20 minutes. The move forms part of Majestic's plans to capitalise on growing ecommerce sales since the Covid-19 pandemic.
21/07/2023
Looking Back, Forging Ahead Q&A: John Colley, Majestic Wine
Majestic CEO John Colley sits down with Harpers to discuss how 2023 has gone so far for the business, and what the remainder of the year may bring.
06/07/2023
Jon Bon Jovi wine brand enjoys sales jump at Majestic stores
Rock star Jon Bon Jovi, his son Jesse Bongiovi, and world-renowned winemaker Gerard Bertrand visited Majestic's St John's Wood flagship in London to toast the sales success of their rose brand, Hampton Water.
04/07/2023
IWC Industry Awards 2023: Majestic takes home two trophies
Majestic added more awards to its growing collection after scooping two prizes at the prestigious IWC Industry Awards. The esteemed judging panel crowned Majestic's buyers as the Buying Team of the Year, while the business was also named Rose Retailer of the Year for 2023.
23/05/2023
Majestic raises £200,000 for Alzheimer’s Society
Majestic donates £200,000 to its charity partner of the year for 2022/23, Alzheimer’s Society. The fundraising efforts represent the biggest sum Majestic has ever donated to a single charity during a financial year, and comes as the business steps up its ambitions to give back to the communities it serves every day across the UK.
17/05/2023
The Drinks Business Awards 2023: Majestic scoops two prestigious prizes
Majestic won two major awards at the Drinks Business Awards 2023. Maria Lopez, General Manager, Majestic Commercial, was named Woman of the Year for 2023, while our buying team added yet another gong to their growing collection, picking up Retail Buying Team of the Year. Majestic was also given a Special Commendation in the fiercely contested Multiple Retailer of the Year category.
27/04/2023
Majestic COO Rob Cooke joins WSTA board
Majestic chief operating officer Rob Cooke joins the board of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) as the business steps up efforts to be “a force for good” in the wine industry.
24/04/2023
Majestic makes ‘biggest investment ever in pay’ for its staff
Majestic unveils a new pay deal for retail colleagues to recognise the expertise and experience of store teams, and shield its people from the impact of rising living costs. The implementation of the new pay structure represents the largest investment Majestic has made in colleague pay in the retailer's 43-year history.
04/04/2023
Majestic Wine opens new smaller store concept in Harpenden
Majestic opens its first smaller format store on Harpenden High Street. The 1,800 sq ft unit is less than half the size of the average Majestic shop, and allows the business to test a fresh approach to reaching communities in key target areas of the UK as it expands its bricks-and-mortar presence.
06/03/2023
Majestic seeks new Diversity in Wine Scholarship applicants
Majestic toasts 10 new graduates from its Diversity in Wine Scholarship as it seeks 12 new applicants to join the free training programme. Since launching the programme in September 2020, Majestic has helped 45 people from Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and other diverse backgrounds achieve their WSET Level 2 qualification and take their first steps into the wine industry.
20/02/2023
Majestic signs its second Master of Wine
Majestic appoints Jane Masters MW to its award-winning buying team in the key role of buying manager, working under the leadership of Trading Director, John Storm and Chief Operating Officer, Robert Cooke.
20/01/2023
It takes a lot of bottle to back bricks-and-mortar wine sales
Majestic CEO John Colley tells The Times why the business is in good health following its divorce from Naked Wines.
10/01/2023
Majestic Wine enjoys second-biggest Christmas trading performance in its history
Majestic toasts a strong festive sales performance despite intense price competition from supermarket rivals.
12/12/2022
Majestic freezes prices for pubs, restaurants and bars
Majestic freezes prices for pubs, bars and restaurants until at least the spring as rising costs continue to put pressure on the hospitality sector.
26/09/2022
Majestic launches fourth Diversity in Wine Scholarship and celebrates past graduates
Our Diversity In Wine Scholarship was launched in 2020 to help make the wine industry a more accessible place for individuals who might not historically have been attracted to join.
Since then we’ve successfully put 35 students through the scheme but we were unable to host an in-person graduation due to the pandemic. Last week we welcomed a selection of past graduates to join us to toast their achievement in passing their WSET Level 2.
Our fourth DIWS intake opened this month too, offering a further 12 candidates from Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic or diverse backgrounds the opportunity to boost their wine knowledge and gain an industry recognised qualification (worth in excess of £400).
11/09/2022
Majestic Board of Directors complete charity cycle
The Majestic Board of Directors completed the London to Brighton cycle in aid of our charity partners, Alzheimer's Society.
Starting at the Majestic Clapham store and ending at the Brighton store, the gruelling 55 mile route included a 1 mile climb hitting 16% gradients.
In addition to raising awareness for dementia as part of World Alzheimer's Month, the board raised over £8k for the charity's family and carer support fund.
29/08/2022
Majestic offers year’s supply of wine anyone who can help find new sites
The wine retailer is offering a year's supply to thirsty customers who help find the perfect venues for new stores. Majestic has a wish list of 76 locations across the UK, and plans to continue expanding despite the cost of living crisis.
04/08/2022
Majestic opens store in Haywards Heath
Majestic opens Haywards Heath store, lines up more openings...
15/07/2022
Majestic relaunches En Primeur offering
Majestic rejoins Bordeaux en primeur with 2021-vintage offers...
24/06/2022
The Drinks Business: Retail Buying Team of the Year and Mutiple Retailer of the Year
Majestic scoops two major prizes at the prestigious Drinks Business Awards 2022, taking home the Multiple Retailer of the Year and Retail Buying Team of the Year trophies.
22/05/2022
The Guardian: Majestic regains its power
King of the high street, Majestic is going back to its roots...
06/05/2022
The Drinks Business: Majestic embraces growth as it unveils its summer wines
Specialist wine retailer Majestic has previewed a taste of its upcoming spring/summer wines while reflecting on what has changed in recent years.
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