Majestic uncorks Thame store to kick-start summer of expansion

Majestic, the UK’s largest specialist wine retailer, has kicked off the summer in style by opening the doors to its newest store in Thame.

The 1,680 sq ft store is perfectly placed in the heart of the popular High Street, just a stone’s throw from Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and a host of bustling bars and restaurants. Majestic has taken on the unit previously occupied by Newitt’s of Thame, a much-loved butcher that was famous in the local community and beyond for its award-winning pies and meats. Majestic has retained a number of the butcher’s shop’s features – including its black and white tiled flooring, wooden ceiling beams and tiled walls featuring original murals – to honour the role the Newitt family played in the community for more than 50 years.

Majestic has invested in building an extension at the rear of the store to accommodate its full range of more than 1,200 high-quality wines, beers and spirits. The store has a dedicated area for 65 Fine Wines and stocks low and no alcohol alternatives, soft drinks and a newly extended range of premium snacks including crisps, olives and beersticks.

Majestic has brought its market-leading and award-winning service proposition to the Thame store, where its experienced and highly qualified expert colleagues will host free wine tastings seven days a week. Customers will have the opportunity to try a selection of wines before they buy at the in-store Tasting Counter, and get expert advice from the Majestic team, all of whom are trained through the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET).

Shoppers can also benefit from Majestic’s unparalleled range of complementary services including free glass hire, bespoke wedding tastings, and the retailer’s unique ‘No Quibble Guarantee’, which allows customers to return any wines they don’t like in exchange for a bottle of equivalent value.

Online shoppers can order from Majestic’s full range through its e-commerce website for free next-day delivery via the store’s own dedicated van. Customers making their purchases online can also use Majestic’s highly popular ‘Shop Local’ proposition, which allows users to order from the stock available at the Thame store, in real-time, for click and collect within as little as four hours.

The new shop will also support Majestic’s rapidly growing B2B division, Majestic Commercial, supplying wines to gastropubs, bars and restaurants in the Thame area. Majestic Commercial, which was crowned On-Trade Supplier of the Year at the Drinks Business Awards 2024, currently partners with more than 3,300 hospitality venues across the UK, including the likes of Manchester City Football Club, Macdonald Hotels & Resorts and Marylebone Cricket Club’s iconic Lord’s cricket ground.

Majestic’s launch in Thame kick-starts a summer of expansion for the retailer, with two more stores planned in Christchurch and Wimborne Minster in the coming months. The premium wines and spirits group also plans to open two new Vagabond wine bars, in St Paul’s and Liverpool Street, the first of which will open in August. The central London locations will mark the first new bars Vagabond has opened since Majestic acquired the business in April 2024. Majestic has already invested in an extensive refurbishment of Vagabond’s flagship Battersea Power Station bar and rolled out a new smartphone app for guests to use alongside its unique tap and pour wine machines.

The investment in growth underscores the renewed focus the business has placed on experiential retail and hospitality offerings since its split from Naked Wines plc and subsequent acquisition by Fortress Investment Group in December 2019. Since then, following the reintroduction of former management and with the backing of its investor, Majestic has returned to growth and stability, opening more than 20 new stores and more than quadrupling sales in its Majestic Commercial business.

Majestic CEO John Colley said: “Thame is a location we’ve been targeting for some time as part of our expansion plans, so we are delighted to be bringing our award-winning wines and expertise to the town. We know there are hundreds of discerning wine lovers in the local community – many of whom already shop with us in Oxford, Aylesbury or online – and our new store will make it even easier for them to discover new wines, beers and spirits they will love.”