Wine lovers cheer Majestic
MAJESTIC Wine said its decision to half its minimum purchase to six bottles helped boost its pre-Christmas sales.
The wine chain, which has 150 stores in the UK, said like-for-like sales were up 11.7 per cent in the nine weeks from 3 November.
Majestic began selling six-bottle batches to customers in September as part of a push to widen its customer base, having held a 12-bottle minimum since the 1980s.
The firm said the change led to a small drop in average spend per customer but this has been outweighed by transaction growth and a large increase in new customers.
Chief executive Steve Lewis said: “We are delighted with the growth in sales over the Christmas period. We are encouraged by our customers’response to the reduction in our minimum purchase to six bottles.”
Among Majestic’s top-selling festive tipples were Bollinger and Veuve Cliquot non-vintage champagnes at £26.65 and £24.99, Prosecco di Conegliano at £7.99, Chablis Jean Bourguignon at £6.99 and Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc at £5.99.
Also, Foyles, the bookseller which owns four bookshops across London, said its Christmas sales rose 18.9 per cent.
The bookseller, which has its flagship store on Charing Cross Road, said the rise was down to a London-wide advertising campaign and the fact that it sold many of its books at full price. Foyles chief executive Sam Husain said: “We are delighted that all four shops performed so well.”