Majestic, the UK’s largest specialist wine retailer, has announced a partnership with on-demand courier specialist Gophr to enhance delivery services for its retail and on-trade customers during a bustling summer of sport.
The nationwide partnership with Gophr, successfully trialled in regions including London, Carlisle, Shrewsbury, and Yeovil, will enable customers to benefit from rapid same-day deliveries. This will support Majestic’s existing network of 220 delivery vans. Customers purchasing large volumes of wines, beers, and spirits in Majestic stores can have their baskets delivered to their homes within hours via Gophr’s on-demand fleet of couriers operating across the UK. Customers ordering online via majestic.co.uk will continue to benefit from the retailer’s same-day click and collect or next-day delivery options.
The partnership with Gophr will also help Majestic manage increased order volumes during peak periods and cover driver absences due to sickness or annual leave. By leveraging Gophr’s fleet, Majestic can ensure timely deliveries to both retail customers and on-trade venues anywhere in the UK. Majestic operates a unique fulfilment model, with each of its 208 stores having its own dedicated van, delivering orders to households and hospitality businesses in their local communities.
Majestic’s dedicated on-trade sales division, Majestic Commercial, supplies more than 3,000 gastropubs, bars, restaurants, hotels, and other hospitality venues throughout England, Scotland, and Wales. These venues are expected to see increased demand during a packed calendar of major sporting events this summer. The excitement begins on 14 June with the opening match of football’s European Championships, and continues with events such as the Paris Olympics, the men’s T20 Cricket World Cup, Wimbledon, the Tour de France, The Open golf championship, and the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
With a glittering array of sporting events taking place, Majestic predicts increased demand for wines, beers, and spirits as supporters gather with friends and family to watch the events unfold. The retailer forecasts a 15% year-on-year increase in beer sales, anticipating the biggest summer of beer sales in its 44-year history. English Sparkling wines are also expected to be popular, particularly during Wimbledon, while Nyetimber’s limited edition Team GB bottles are set to be a hit among Olympics fans.
Majestic CEO John Colley said: “We know that our customers value the convenience and flexibility of getting expert advice from our store colleagues and paying for their orders in person, before having their wines delivered to their doorsteps at a later date. This exciting new partnership with Gophr gives our customers the added option of having their large in-store purchases delivered to their homes within a matter of hours.
“Gophr will also offer on-demand support to our existing fleet of more than 200 vans, beefing up our delivery capacity whenever we need it. This provides vital reassurance for our retail and on-trade customers that they will receive exactly what they have ordered from us, exactly when they want it – even during our summer, Christmas, and Easter peaks.”
Gophr founder and CEO Seb Robert commented: “This partnership with Majestic is a significant one as we continue with our expansion into driver shifts and fleet support services. At Gophr, we are helping businesses, such as Majestic, with resilience, efficiency, and peak capacity of their in-house fleet operations. It’s a real testament to the work we are doing that a household name such as Majestic, a business that I have long admired, has chosen us to be its delivery partner – especially as we head towards the ‘Summer of Sport’, set to be one of Majestic’s busiest periods of the year.”
