Majestic has announced the opening of its newest location – situated in the Wiltshire town of Trowbridge – marking the beginning of a round of investment from the retailer worth £4 million.
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There is now just over one week until nominations for Harpers’ 50 Best Indies 2027 list close on 6 August.
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Harpers readers are invited to take part in our Drinks Trade Innovation Survey, the results of which are to be published in our August issue.
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Online wine retailer Winebuyers is set to relaunch with an expanded remit – including beer; coffee; and tea – with its sights also set on expanding into the US market.
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Wine retailer Majestic and BBC television programme Saturday Kitchen Live have partnered to create a new wine subscription service – Saturday Kitchen Wine Club.
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Most often associated with celebration, sparkling wines positioned between Prosecco and Champagne have reason to raise a glass to themselves as they continue to outperform their still counterparts in the UK, bucking the trend with rises in CAGR and appealing to consumers’ appetite for experimentation and discovering new ways of getting more bang for their buck.
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The WSTA has unveiled sales statistics from its new Sip 2 report which show that for 2025, off-trade sales for the ready to drink (RTD) category rose +17% year on year in terms of value.
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Leading wine retailer Majestic Wine has announced that this Christmas trading period was the biggest in its 45-year history, reporting a 0.9% increase in total sales over the five weeks to 29th December 2025.
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It is perhaps appropriate, considering the historic role that the church played in viticulture, that one of Cornwall’s most iconic merchants occupies a former place of worship. Once a Methodist chapel, it was transformed in the mid-1970s into the premises for Laymont & Shaw, a specialist importer with a passion for all things Iberian. Decades later Hispanophile Jamie Tonkin joined the business before being drawn to the bright lights of London. After a stint in the capital’s wine trade, Tonkin returned to Cornwall and purchased the business in 2009, continuing its evolution as “an old chapel full of wine”. Joined by co-owner Louisa Fitzpatrick in 2020, Old Chapel Cellars is today a leading merchant, community hub and sustainability advocate rolled into one.
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Wine retail giant Majestic has seen its profits before tax almost cut in half year on year – falling from £14.3m for FY24 to £7.7m for FY25 as detailed in its Companies House filing for the 2025 financial year (ending 31 March 2025).
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Harpers once again presents our 50 Best Indies list, highlighting excellence in merchants across the UK drinks trade.
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Last week (5-9 January) we released our 50 Best Indies 2026 results day by day, celebrating the leading UK wine and spirits merchants as we revealed those placed from 50-11.
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This week marks the release of our 50 Best Indies 2026 results, celebrating the leading wine and spirits merchants from across the UK.
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This week marks the release of our 50 Best Indies 2026 results, celebrating the leading wine and spirits merchants from across the UK.
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This week marks the release of our 50 Best Indies 2026 results, celebrating the leading wine and spirits merchants from across the UK.
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Port’s postprandial image is one that has long buoyed UK sales for the Douro’s array of fortified wine producers. However, with changing tastes come changing demands. Although there will remain a strong appetite for traditional expressions of the category, Port houses both established and new are looking to appeal to a younger demographic who may be only just commencing their Port journey. Harpers spoke to producers who ply their trade in the steep-hilled valley to determine how they are seeking to appeal to this disruptive demographic.
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The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill includes a ban on upward-only rent review clauses in commercial leases.
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Wine retailer Majestic has announced the opening of a new retail site in Thame, Oxfordshire. The addition comes as the business prepares to open two more stores as well as two Vagabond wine bars over the coming months.
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Wine wholesaler Evertons Wine Merchants has announced the opening of a retail site, with a new wine shop set to open in Worcester on Friday 2 May.
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Reserve Wines’ willingness to keep things fresh and adapt in an ever-evolving wine market has meant accolades and praise have continued to come the Manchester-based merchant’s way. When one digs a little deeper, decoding why the Harpers 50 Best Indies 2025 winner has continued to succeed is fairly simple.
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