Majestic, the UK’s largest specialist wine retailer, has opened the doors to its newest store in Rugby as it accelerates its bricks-and-mortar expansion.
It is the company’s second new opening of the calendar year after launching its small store concept in Harpenden in April.
The expansion plan underlines Majestic’s renewed focus on bricks-and-mortar retail following its split from Naked Wines plc in 2019. Since then, Majestic has opened 11 new stores, bringing its UK total to 204.
Following the opening of its latest store in Rugby, the retailer has declared publicly for the first time that it intends to expand at a rate of one new store per month – including sites in Newark, Crouch End, Christchurch and Chippenham before Christmas. However, it is worth noting that this is an average and Majestic will not literally be opening one new store every month.
Majestic CEO John Colley said: “We are delighted to be opening our doors in Rugby, a location we have had our eyes on for some time as part of our store expansion strategy.
“Everyone at Majestic is looking forward to serving the local community and bringing our award-winning wines and expert knowledge to the town.
“This is the first new store opening of our current financial year and we are excited about becoming a part of even more communities across the UK in the coming months.”
The emphasis on bricks-and-mortar growth is part of a company ethos at Majestic that encourages customers to discover new wines, in-store, with the help of WSET-qualified staff and tastings. As a result, we will likely see Majestic continue to identify white space across the UK where there is consumer demand for wine specialists.