Majestic Wines has opened its fourth new store this year, returning to a Lancashire borough after a seven-year hiatus.
Majestic - the UK’s largest specialist wine retailer - opened the doors to its long awaited new store on Thursday.
Joining fellow Lancashire branches in Lytham St Annes and Clitheroe, the highly-anticipated Majestic in Preston will be taking over a former Frankie & Benny’s restaurant next to Waitrose, in the rejuvenated Capitol Centre in Walton-le-Dale.
Occupying a site that has been empty for more than a year, this exciting return to the city follows the Blackpool Road store’s closure almost a decade ago.
Creating three jobs in the locality, the store will be headed up by Rebecca Quigley, who has five years’ experience recommending wine to customers at Majestic branches across the northwest.
The new store simultaneously opens doors to a supported career in the wine trade and progression opportunities within the retailer, as one of Europe’s biggest wine educators, boasting more than 1,000 Wines and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) trained colleagues across the business.
Majestic predicts Preston’s best-selling categories to be Champagne, sparkling, Spain, and New Zealand.
The top predicted bottles include fan-favourite Majestic exclusives such as:
• The Guv'nor, Spain (£8.99 per bottle/£6.99 Mix Six)
• Definition Rioja Reserva 2017/18 (£13.99 per bottle/£11.99 Mix Six)
• Villa Maria ‘Seaspray’ Sauvignon Blanc 2021, Marlborough (£15.99 per bottle/£13.99 Mix Six)
• Yealands Estate Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2020/21, Marlborough (£13.99 per bottle/£11.99 Mix Six)
• Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2021/22, Marlborough (£11.29 per bottle/£8.49 Mix Six)
• Veuve Clicquot Brut Champagne (£49.99 per bottle/£37.49 Mix Six)
• La Marca 'Extra Dry' Prosecco, Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG (£14.99 per bottle/£9.99 Mix Six)
The store will stock more than 1,100 different wines, beers, and spirits, bringing Majestic discoveries to the heart of Lancashire, and will feature Majestic’s signature services, including a Tasting Counter - with free tastings seven days a week - a dedicated fine wine area, free local store delivery, and free click and collect.
Majestic CEO, John Colley, says: “All of us at Majestic are especially delighted to be returning to Preston - the wonderful, historic heart of Lancashire - after almost a decade. We are excited to once again bring a wealth of wine expertise to the city.
“This marks our fourth store opening this year, following successful launches in the summer and early autumn, in response to the demand we’ve seen from customers to return back to physical sites for in-person discovery.”
This store opening is the retailer’s fourth this year, following Haywards Heath and Godalming in the summer, and Stafford in the early autumn - evidence of Majestic’s continued investment in bricks and mortar.
And while 88.7 per cent of the UK’s population already live within 10 miles of a Majestic store, the company is keen to continue its expansion plans and has identified 76 potential locations across the UK in which it hopes to have a presence, offering customers a year’s supply of wine if they help them find their ideal site.
The full list of potential site requirements along with full T&Cs, can be found on Majestic's website.
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