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Majestic Wine recently kicked off a \u00a34 million investment into its store portfolio, as it unveiled its newest shop in Trowbridge, Wiltshire.<\/span><\/p>\n Its investment over 2026\/27 includes the launch of at least four new stores, as well as a comprehensive programme of improvements to its existing UK shops.<\/span><\/p>\n Majestic Retail managing director Elizabeth Newman shares more on the investment and its implications for its physical stores.<\/span><\/p>\n The new Trowbridge store is based in \u201ca prime location\u201d on Wicker Hill, close to the banks of the River Biss, The Shires Shopping Centre and a host of bars, restaurants and coffee shops, according to the retailer.<\/span><\/p>\n It sells Majestic\u2019s full range of over 1,000 wines, including a dedicated area for 72 fine wines, as well as its growing proposition of beers, spirits, low and no alcohol alternatives, soft drinks, snacks and gifts.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe know there are thousands of discerning wine drinkers in the local community, many of whom have shopped with us for a long time in Bath, Devizes, Chippenham or online,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis store makes it even more convenient for them to shop with us.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe also have a fast-growing number of on-trade partners across Wiltshire, so the Trowbridge store gives us an even more local fulfilment hub to help us serve existing partners and attract even more new gastropubs, bars and restaurants operating in the town.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Inside the store, which measures over 4,000 sq ft, staff host free wine tastings seven days a week, while customers are able to try a selection of wines before purchasing them at the shop\u2019s in-store tasting counter.<\/span><\/p>\n Additionally, shoppers are able to use Majestic\u2019s range of complementary services, including its free glass hire, bespoke wedding tastings, and its \u201cno quibble guarantee,\u201d which allows them to return any wines they don\u2019t like in exchange for a bottle of equivalent value.<\/span><\/p>\n Looking at the wine specialist\u2019s wider store investment, Newman explains that Majestic has invested \u00a34 million into bricks-and-mortar since \u201cstores are at the heart of everything\u201d it does.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThey are our biggest customer acquisition tool in retail, they act as micro-fulfilment hubs for our Majestic Commercial on-trade business delivering to local bars and restaurants, and they are where we bring the Majestic experience to life through our in-store tasting counters and expert advice,\u201d she says.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWine has always been a discovery-led category, our customers don\u2019t just want to walk in and pick up a bottle off the shelf, they want to taste new wines before they buy and speak to our store sommeliers for some inspiration on what new products they might like to buy next based on their tastes and budget.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a unique and differentiated proposition that we know there is a huge appetite for, so investing in new stores and modernising our existing estate will help us deliver the best possible experience to even more customers.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Explaining how Majestic will continue to do so, Newman says: \u201cThis has always been a central part of what we do, going right back to when we were founded nearly 50 years ago.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe talk a lot internally about stores being at the heart of everything in our strategic plan, and they genuinely are. It\u2019s deep rooted in our Majestic DNA and always will be.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe know that human connection is incredibly important in wine, our customers want to hear from our colleagues about what\u2019s new and exciting, and they buy into wines that have interesting stories and heritage behind them.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n She adds: \u201cAll of our colleagues are educated through the wine and spirit education trust and we fund and coach our people to more than 400 new qualifications every single year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSo they are continuously broadening their knowledge, which they can then share with our customers on the shopfloor.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n All of Majestic\u2019s existing stores are profitable, making the brand \u201cincredibly selective\u201d about where it invests in new shops, according to Newman.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cEach new store brings thousands of new customers into the Majestic family, so fundamentally it\u2019s about growing that shopper base and our top line,\u201d she says.<\/span><\/p>\n She explains that the key improvements it is making consist of \u201cmodernising our tasting counters and installing new shelving to expand our ranges across all categories.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s everything from fine wines to snacks. Tasting counters are the focal point of our store experience and so we want to make those spaces as accessible and visually appealing as possible to encourage customers to discover new wines and learn about them from our colleagues.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAnd the addition of more shelving not only reduces some of the operational challenges for colleagues stacking boxes and crates, but makes our stores easier for our customers to navigate and shop.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n She adds: \u201cIt also allows us to merchandise our fine wine offering in a much more striking way, with dedicated shelving units that elevate that proposition and really catch the customer\u2019s eye when they walk into a store.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n As it stands, Majestic has four new stores in the pipeline.<\/span><\/p>\n Although Newman does not specify the exact locations of these shops, she reveals that it is \u201cfocusing on locations like Trowbridge\u201d where it knows there are \u201cpopulations of discerning wine lovers, who either travel to Majestic stores in neighbouring towns, shop predominantly with us online, or buy most of their wine from other retailers operating locally\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhere we know there are communities like that crying out for a Majestic store, we will try to bring the full Majestic experience to their doorsteps,\u201d she assures.<\/span><\/p>\nNew store and local fulfilment hub<\/span><\/h6>\n
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\n<\/picture>\nNewman insists that Trowbridge is a location it has \u201chad our eye on for some time\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\nAn experiential approach<\/span><\/h6>\n
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\n<\/picture>\nTaking an experiential approach to its stores is evidently important to Majestic. In its investment announcement, the business noted that it had \u201cput experiential, store-based retailing back at the heart of its growth plan\u201d since its split from Naked Wines and acquisition by Fortress Investment Group in 2019.<\/span><\/p>\nAn estate of profitable stores<\/h6>\n
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\n<\/picture>\nHowever, the exec notes that the investments it is making in its existing stores are \u201cjust as important\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n