Majestic brings back small parcels of wine

Majestic Wine is hoping to relive its 1980s heyday by upping its commitment to exclusive parcels of wine, as well as revamping its existing Parcel Series of exclusives – but denies this is a reaction to the discounters’ merchandising model.

Majestic’s recently revamped York store

From September the wine specialist will include a new ‘When It’s Gone It’s Gone’ two-pallet section across its 212-strong estate where it will stock one-off parcels to give customers “a rapidly changing and exciting range” of exclusive wines.

Head of buying & merchandising Richard Weaver said the move came on the back of a more disciplined strategy to merchandising and new “architecture” adopted in the last year to make offering smaller parcels across the main estate possible as well as online. It follows the release of a one-off parcel offered to the retailer in February which prompted Majestic to dial up its strategy, Weaver said, as well as greater agility in its approach to ranging across its stores.

“We’ve realised these exciting parcels were what made us really special in the past and so I’m delighted we’re bringing them back,” he told db. “What we want is  customers in the know to come in and check those sections first.”

Around 15 small parcels will be available in store at any one time, with volumes varying from 4,000 to 10,000 bottles per parcel in order that the mechanic can run for either one to two months.

“We are effecting working the range in three parts – the core in all stores, an optional ‘module’ that goes into [the most appropriate] stores, and these parcels,” he told db.

Majestic said it was not a strategy that would suit the multiple grocers and denied it was in reaction to the discounters rolling series of exclusives.

“It is not a reaction, it is an assessment of where were are as a business and where Majestic’s strengths lie,” he said, pointing to the retailers previous commitment to unique parcels that couldn’t be found elsewhere.

“In the 1990s and 2000s Majestic became famous for major purchases from sources including Scandinavian state monopolies, private cellars and direct from producers. These parcels have become less of a feature in recent years as the store network had become too large, however  a new approach to merchandising means parcels are back at the forefront of Majestic’s strategy,” the retailer said.

Revamping own label

A second strand of this strategy will see Majestic roll out new packaging across its existing ‘Parcel Series’, which currently comprises ten exclusive wines that says offers “spectacular wines in small quantities that producers need to sell, quickly and discreetly”, rather than under the producers’ own brand.

The plan is to launch around six new wines in the Parcel Series over the next six months which Weaver said would include some “very exciting wines”. The first new wine will hit shelves this week, a Tempranilllo Reserva 2008 from the Spanish region of Uclés, which consists of only 8,008 bottles.

It added that while the giving customers exclusive products “at great prices”, it would also support suppliers when they have wines they want a “speedy sale of”.

“It will appeal to the trade, as they will know Majestic is back in business for parcels,” Weaver said.