Majestic puts a spring in Marlow’s step in time for Easter

• Majestic launches its first-ever store in Marlow, in Anglers Court
• Marlow is the third small-format store Majestic has opened in past year
• Shop will stock a curated range of more than 600 wines, plus beers, spirits, low and no alcohol alternatives and soft drinks 
• Customers can benefit from host of services including free local delivery and in-store wine tastings seven days a week

Majestic, the UK’s largest specialist wine retailer, has opened the doors to its newest small-format store in Marlow ahead of the four-day Easter weekend.

The 2,200 sq ft unit is around half the size of the average Majestic store, and stocks a carefully curated, award-winning range of more than 600 wines – including a dedicated area for 75 Fine Wines – plus beers, spirits, low and no alcohol alternatives, soft drinks and snacks.

Situated in Anglers Court, Spittal Street, the store is ideally located just half a mile from Marlow train station and a stone’s throw from High Street and Marlow Central Car Park, leaving it perfectly placed to serve walk-in customers picking up a bottle on their way home from work, or those filling their baskets for a special occasion.

Majestic’s experienced and qualified colleagues will host free wine tastings seven days a week from the in-store Tasting Counter, offering customers the opportunity to try a selection of wines before they buy, receive tasting notes and get expert advice.

Customers will benefit from services including next-day home delivery from the store’s own electric van; free glass hire for occasions such as weddings and birthday parties; and Majestic’s unique ‘No Quibble Guarantee’, which allows customers to return any wines they don’t like in exchange for a bottle of equivalent value. Customers can also shop from Majestic’s full range of more than 1,500 wines by ordering online.

The shop will also support Majestic’s rapidly growing B2B division, Majestic Commercial, supplying wines to gastropubs, bars and restaurants in the local area.

Marlow is the third small-format site opened by Majestic in the past year as the business takes a more agile approach to its store expansion strategy. Its first smaller store, which opened in Harpenden last April, has been a huge success with customers and was named as a finalist in the Game-Changing Store of the Year category at the Retail Gazette Awards 2023. Marlow also marks the sixth and final new store to open its doors during Majestic’s financial year, following openings in Rugby, Newark, Chippenham, Monmouth and Crouch End since last August. The retailer has ambitions to open up to one new store per month over the coming years, including sites in Christchurch, Penarth and Plymouth.

Majestic’s growth strategy reaffirms the renewed focus it has placed on experiential bricks-and-mortar retail since its split from Naked Wines plc in 2019. Since then, following the reintroduction of former management and with the backing of owners Fortress Investment Group, Majestic has opened 16 new stores and returned to growth and stability. In January, it toasted the best Christmas trading performance in its 43-year history as more than 63,000 new customers shopped with Majestic for the first time during the holiday season.

Majestic CEO John Colley said: “Marlow is a location we’ve had our eye on for some time as part of our expansion plans, so we are delighted to be opening a new store in the town. Everyone at Majestic is looking forward to welcoming hundreds of new customers from the local community and sharing our award-winning wines and expert knowledge with them – just in time for Easter.

Our first small-format store in Harpenden has been a huge hit with customers since opening a year ago, and we are confident that the people of Marlow will love the proposition we are bringing to their town, too. Marlow represents our first store opening of 2024 and we remain committed to growing our store estate further throughout the coming year, with some hugely exciting plans in place this Spring and beyond.”