Majestic Wine

Last updated

Majestic Wine Warehouses Ltd
Company typePrivate Company
IndustryWine retailing
GenreLiquor firm
Founded1980;44 years ago (1980)
FounderSheldon Graner
Headquarters Watford, England, UK
Number of locations
200
Area served
United Kingdom
Key people
John Colley, CEO
ProductsWine, champagne, spirits
ServicesFree glassware hiring, free wine tasting, delivery service from local stores, 'no quibble' returns guarantee
Revenue £382.5m (12 months to 28/Mar/2022)
£24.8m (12 months to 28/Mar/2022)
Owner Fortress Investment Group
Number of employees
1,350
Website www.majestic.co.uk

Majestic Wine is a British wine retailer based in Watford, England. [1] The company employs more than 1,300 employees nationwide, and operates more than 200 stores across the United Kingdom. [2]

Contents

History

1980 to 1999

Majestic Vintners was founded by Sheldon Graner in 1980. Prior to Majestic Vintners, Graner gained work as a merchandiser with the John Lewis group. [3] The initial design logo for the company was based on a definitive set of King George V postage stamps of 1929. During the 1970s, laws regarding selling alcohol were restrictive in the United Kingdom. Majestic Vinters offered wine tastings and sold wine by the case to comply with the laws. [3]

Graner opened his first wine warehouse in Harringay, North London, in 1980, hiring Tony Mason to manage the day-to-day running of the store. A second shop launched in Battersea in May 1981. A few months later, the group called in receivers and Majestic's assets were bought by Giles Clarke. [4]

In August 1987, Majestic acquired Liquor Barn, a chain of 104 stores in California and Arizona, as part of its US expansion plans. [5] Following the disposal of the American business, Majestic Wine was sold for £15 million to investors in 1989.

In 1986, Tony Mason set up Wizard Wine under the same concept, which in 1987 was purchased by retailer Bejam. After Bejam was purchased by rival Iceland in January 1989, Mason and partners John Apthorp (now retired) and Tim How (CEO until 2008) bought Wizard Wine from the heavily indebted Iceland. In September 1991, Wizard Wine purchased Majestic Wine in a leveraged buyout, and merged as a private company. [6] Headquartered in Watford, Hertfordshire, under the leadership of Tim How, Majestic Wine became a public company in 1996, trading on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM).[ citation needed ] [7]

2000 to 2019

Under Fortress ownership

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References

  1. "Financial Times".
  2. "Majestic Wine". majestic.co.uk. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  3. 1 2 Live, Birmingham (4 May 2013). "Majestic value and quality on offer for lovers of top tipples". birminghammail. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  4. About Us: National Council - C Giles Clarke Archived 2009-02-25 at the Wayback Machine Learning & Skills Council
  5. "California Vintners Feel the Crush of Anti-Alcohol Forces, Increased Foreign Ownership". Los Angeles Times. 8 September 1987. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  6. "Company History | Majestic Wine". Investors.majestic.co.uk. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
  7. "Financial Times".
  8. "Financial Times".
  9. "Majestic snaps up Lay & Wheeler". Decanter. 6 March 2009. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
  10. "Majestic Wine chief Steve Lewis steps down". Harpers.co.uk. 19 February 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
  11. Ruddick, Graham (10 April 2015). "Majestic Wine 'buys' a new boss with acquisition of Naked Wines". Telegraph. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
  12. Mercer, Chris (12 December 2019). "Majestic Wine sale completes as retailer plots growth". Decanter. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  13. Douglas, Ellie (19 May 2020). "Deliveroo and Majestic Wine partnership expands to 80 sites". Decanter. Retrieved 27 May 2020.