MAJESTIC'S BEST OF THE BUNCH

Published: 23 July, 2008

By Jack Hibberd

Majestic has entered the mail-order wine market with Best of the Bunch', an annual subscription scheme that delivers a 12-bottle case to subscribers' doors five times a year. According to Majestic's marketing director, Steve de Mellow, consumers will see that the offer is better value than that of the company's competitors. The wines are all from the Majestic list, and so prices are very transparent. I've heard anecdotally that there is a growing feeling among consumers that some schemes are not value for money. This format means consumers can avoid the high-margin, exclusive-label offerings of many of our competitors,' he said. Subscribers can choose between two price plans: the Seasonal Wine Plan' at 70 a case, and the Premium Wine Plan' at 90 a case. Each case is made up of wines from that season's price list, so if a wine is on shelf at a discount, the reduction in price will also be taken into account if it is included in a case. I speak to many Majestic customers who love the Majestic format, and love the wines we offer, but simply don't have the time to make it to a store on a regular basis,' added de Mellow. This is one way of letting infrequent visitors buy more wine from Majestic.' Consumers can sign up for the plan (which can be cancelled at any time) in-store, on the web, or by phone. Next month sees the Majestic chain reach 120 stores, with three more sites - High Wycombe, Marlborough and Ruislip - set to open in November.

Printer friendly version