We are

12 Months of Covid in review A run down of what the year has meant for us

Right channels: Subscriptions What’s to come with Mark Capon

New branding roll out Exciting new stores and refurbs on the way

ISSUE 03 | SPRING 2021 Welcome Welcome to issue three of We Are Majestic!

Thanks for joining us for our next issue of there are any key updates or insights you’d love be shared. And hopefully we’ll see you all soon with a glass of wine in hand! the magazine which is all about Majestic, for Majestic colleagues!

Our focus over the next few pages is all about reasons to believe, Jack and looking ahead. [email protected] With Spring in full swing, there’s plenty to be positive about - both in Majestic and outside of it. So we’ve spoken to some of the key P.S. We Are Majestic will be as frank and open as possible members of the team to find out what they’re looking forward to - which means it will often contain information that’s as we emerge from lockdown into a summer of great wines with commercially sensitive. Please DON’T share it with anyone great people. outside the business: it’s for your eyes only! As always, we’re very open to your feedback about the magazine - let us know what you would like to see here, or if

2 We Are Majestic In this issue

04 A word from John

05 12 months of Covid in review

08 A year inside our record breaking depot

10 The Majestic Plan Update

20 More Majestic flags in the map

26 More Majestic flags on the map

28 New branding roll out

30 Where will our Pop-Up, Pop-Up next

31 Right channels: Subscriptions What’s to come with Mark Capon

34 Meet Jacqui Rouse: Our New HR Director

36 Partners – interviews and next stages

40 WSET update

42 Celebrating the life of Tony Mason

44 People Focus

46 Taking on the MW

Spring 2021 3 A word from John... When we relaunched our internal magazine, almost exactly a year a go, we were stepping into a very different world which none of us can say we were quite prepared for.

That being said, I couldn’t be prouder of plenty of details in the following pages Majestic for the last year, to all our what we have all achieved, the way we of how we can really help to make 2021 colleagues and the ones they hold dear. have stuck together and the continued a success for Majestic. With lots of new This has affected us all, one way or effort each of you have put it to serve initiatives, plenty of learnings from the last another. I know that some of us have lost customers and to stay safe. Thank you all. 12 months - and even more opportunities - loved ones, have seen friends and family it’s going to be a (hopefully) positive year. impacted in a number of ways. It takes its Whilst I want to take some time to go over I think we all deserve that. There’s plenty toll on every single one of us - from the the last year of COVID, I also believe it’s going on across the business, not least board level and across the company. So important we begin to look forward. With the reopening of hospitality, the continued thank you for all you have done to keep the lockdown lifting roadmap now well growth of our customer base and some going, to keep serving our customers and underway , more and more of us receiving fantastic new initiatives we’re looking to supporting our suppliers. Better days are the vaccine and the prospect of a return to deliver. on the way, and I look forward to sharing some kind of normal tantalisingly close - them with you all. In the meantime, please it’s time to hopefully begin our next chapter I would like to finish with a very heartfelt stay safe and keep looking out for one in earnest! With that in mind, you’ll find thank you to everyone connected with another”

With lots of new initiatives, plenty of learnings from the last 12 months - and even more opportunities - it’s going to be a (hopefully) positive year. I think we all deserve that.

4 We Are Majestic Cast your mind back to March 2020, with the world heading into lockdown and a lot of uncertainty. Here’s a quick rundown of what the following year has meant for us at Majestic. A year in which, finding the right balance, has always been a challenge. Customer

288013 complaints resolved by CCC in Over 100 new Hundreds of 2020 New Majestic thousands of Commercial big first time Majestic accounts won shoppers Customers 16% more active Record Thousands of numbers ‘thank yous’, well of VIPs wishes and 300,000 new messages of customers support gained And 35% The Key range highlights more VIPs • France up 55% in volume, with: • Loire up 63% • Beaujolais up 47%

55% 63% 47% France Loire Beaujolais

Spring 2021 5 Supplier

A record 35 supplier tastings held over the last year - smashing all previous Overall sold records! enough wine to Colleagues give everyone in the North of England Our biggest a red and a Hundreds year of French white each of new colleagues wine sales in hired or promoted 40 years over the last Over £1m year spent on 450 new 2m COVID related wines added bottles of support lager! Over a to the range dozen industry Over 100,000 awards more bottles of spirit sold than 2019 220 WSET level 2s gained 472 temp in Autumn hires and 254 alone perm hires across the business in 2020 The Key range highlights Over £1m paid • Australia values up 94% out in colleagues • England up 103% bonuses over • South Africa up 56% the last year

94% 103% 56% South Africa Australia England

6 We Are Majestic Support

Over £70,000 raised for the Drinks Over trust £50,000 raised for Australian Incredible Wildfire Appeal support for Thousands our suppliers and thousands throughout of bottles given Thousands to the NHS 20 graduates £ paid into from our Diversity the Retail Covid In Wine Scholarship Trust Response - with more to 480,000 cases come! delivered to shielding customers Over 500 ‘Majestic Hero’ And thousands of nominations positive comments from our own and feedback on colleagues social and from emails Tasting budgets donated to food banks

Rosé from across the New World up 306%!

Spring 2021 7 A Year Inside Our Record Breaking Depot

Across the business, we’ve handled more boxes and bottles than ever before in our 40 year history in the last 12 months. But nowhere is that more true than for our team in Hemel Hempstead, who have contended with COVID, export bans, natural disasters, increased demand, 450 new product launches and, of course, Brexit to keep our stores stocked.

So what’s it been like working around the clock to shift that much stock, during such a challenging time? David Maloney our Head of DC, and Sue Roberts our Supply Chain Director, talk us through it…

8 We Are Majestic In the 20/21 year, the DC has Booked in, picked and dispatched Q: How have you managed to cope with the increase in 6.9 million cases of stock out to the demand, and so many moving parts? Majestic network via our own fleet D: We’ve had 40 years experience bringing wine into this country, and I’ve never known a year like it. But we’ve also of trucks and external providers – the got bags of experience – and a lot of very hard working most successful year in DC history. colleagues. Keeping it flexible has been key – with us mixing up shifts, bringing in extra resource and keeping the dialogue with suppliers and stores going. Q: What’s been some of the proudest, or scariest, S: “I’d like to say a big thank you to the team in the DC, and to moments of the last year for you and the team? all our stores too, for their understanding and graft. It’s been D: In the midst of a global pandemic, the DC and the functions a really challenging time for us and for our suppliers. We’ve supported have gone from strength to strength, along kept the wheels on and the wine moving at record levels. with the personnel within. It’s been a real team effort to introduce a number of COVID control measures but also Q: What’s the setup at Hemel? ensure that productivity remains as high as ever given D: The DC or Hemel is where we bring stock in from across the the challenges faced. In the early part of Lockdown 1, we world, break down the pallets then rebuild mixed pallets to took the decision to expand our working weeks and have be sent out to our stores. We work in tightly knit teams at an now been fully operational for 24 hours across 5 days of incredible fast pace to move stock as quickly as possible, as the week since March 2020. With a weekend rota being we’re reasonably limited in space - we don’t want product added in September 2020, This ensured we had the scope sitting around for long. It’s a Majestic operated warehouse to support increased volumes early on in the pandemic but which is a real advantage when it comes to helping with also gave us the opportunity to lay in cover options or further things like product requests or special deliveries for stores. increased volumes, depending on the situation - Confirmed COVID case or further increased volumes. These will remain In the 20/21 year, the DC has Booked In, picked and as fixed working patterns. dispatched 6.9 million cases of stock out to the Majestic network via our own fleet of trucks and external providers To have had only two confirmed cases of COVID-19 across - the most successful year in DC history. That’s over +1.3m the site was a relief. Both were contracted and confirmed by cases YoY approx. It means we’ve dispatched directly into staff away from the business on leave at the time. Among the our stores from the DC over 5,500,000 cases across 20,500 measures introduced at the DC, temperature checking on ‘drops’! arrival is now compulsory, along with face coverings across the site, sanitizing stations have been added, break times Q: We obviously saw a dip in availability early in staggered, site arrival times shortened, offices split, social 2021, what happened? distancing promoted, among a number of other measures. As a result, the DC has received 2 glowing visits to the site Unfortunately we were really let down by our freight S: from Local Authority, a testament to the dedication of the forwarder. The thing about supply is, it’s one big machine. teams on site and their following of the measures put in Each cog has to work in sync, otherwise mistakes happen. place. When it gets out of time it can unravel quite quickly and that’s what we saw. Our suppliers did their bit and got the All things considered, a massive year for Majestic meant the wine ready across the continent, and our team were on same for volumes through the DC, but we adapted swiftly hand to shift it - but that missing link broke with trucks and and are in a really strong position as a result, ready to keep drivers in the right locations to keep the flow going. We’ve serving the business to the highest of levels. moved quickly and changed provider, and you’ll certainly S: Looking back over the last year and knowing that we have see the stock flowing over the coming weeks! been able to ensure the safety of all our colleagues on site whilst operating at the level we have to support the business, during such an uncertain time, really does make me proud.”

Spring 2021 9 Plan update The Majestic Plan update The Plan - introducing an update to the strategy, the five year vision

Last year we launched our new plan in a glass – a vision of our key priorities to focus, fix and grow Majestic. This came as a direct result of Majestic & Me; a vast, nationwide listening project conducted to put colleague feedback at the heart of our new path.

COVID has accelerated some key areas, and put the brakes on others - but the plan remains the same. It is still that shared set of priorities we should all be working towards as a business, to target our key aims around growth and sustainability. We are the UK’s only leading specialist, we are performing ahead of expectations with our plan. The market is big, and we have a plan to grow. Over the last few weeks, the board has been working extremely hard on how we can continue to develop Majestic - plus building a strategy to grow post-pandemic.

How are we going to do it? Through four key pillars of growth...

New stores Grow Commercial Using our customer data, Our new focus is on better we know where customers quality establishments, which are traveling (and ordering take wine more seriously online) from. Commercial and value our differentiated pipeline tracked and shared service and expertise. Our with property team to get GROW sweet spot is smaller than key early visibility on pinch points. competitors like Bibendum We combine this with our and Enotria due to our store demographic database to distribution model. Leveraging asses the opportunity of Retail Supply base we know building a new store in a FIX we reduce product costs and location. Using historical data, operational complexity we assign a cannibalisation estimate to measure truly incremental sales FOCUS Loyalty Subscription We have a well defined target group of 7.3m High The subscription box Spending Customers market is forecast to see and we already have 11.5% growth p.a. for the 1.7m (23%) of them in our next 3 years. According database. That means to Vinitrac data, there there are plenty more new, are 1.5m subscribers in VIPs for us to target – and our target market, which a healthy number for us to means the average annual look after too spend per customer (inc VAT) is £332

...an d we’ll never lose sight of why we exist: Help y love ing customers discover and buy wines the

10 We Are Majestic The Majestic Plan update Focus Range review for 2021 Update from the Buyers

Last year saw the most radical update to our range in our 40 year history, with over 65% of the offer updated.

We did a lot of the heavy lifting in one fell swoop – but our Buyers aren’t stopping there! They want to ensure that we continue to look after our VIPs with the best bottles possible, whilst being on the forefront of new trends. We want to be the UK’s number one specialist now and for another four decades at least. Here’s some of the key new updates from the team to look out for, hitting your stores this Spring and beyond!

2021 - The Year of Lebanon? with Beth Pearce

The ‘Off The Beaten Track’ section of our stores is often one of the most exciting, where exotic labels hustle for space from the likes of Greece, Romania, Hungary or England. With so much variety and untapped potential out there, which are they key regions our own Master of Wine Beth Pearce has picked to focus on in 2021 and beyond? Q: With so much under the ‘Off The Beaten Track’ label, how do you curate the range? Q: Which region in this category are you personally most excited about Beth? B: “I think it’s fair to say this is probably one of our most controversial areas - particular for colleagues! I get asked B: “For me, Lebanon continues to be a real customer and a lot about why we don’t stock more wines from the likes colleague favourite and the interest in wines from the of Georgia, Romania, Greece etc. The truth is, we’d love area goes from strength to strength. It just shows there’s to - but we have to be sure there’s appetite and that the so much appetite to explore this historic wine nation, even quality is there. But rest assured we’ll keep rotating some after a turbulent and difficult year. And I love their wines. fantastic parcels through the stores - and if you want to In particular, Domaines de Tourelles has a fantastic story see more of these wines then it’s simple. Help us to sell which just epitomises the endeavour and adaptability of them! We’ve already had some great success this year, the Lebanese wine industry. It’s a history you can trace particularly through the press, with wines from Austria, back through centuries and is still being written today. Slovenia and Georgia. We want to continue to champion When you pair that with fantastic winemaking, incredible these regions, but every time we list a wine it means we old vines and a wonderful high altitude site - you can find have to delist from elsewhere - so they have to stand on wines which are both intriguing and represent brilliant their own two feet commercially.” quality. The secret is well and truly out!”

Spring 2021 11 Plan update

Jake Biggs

Beers, Ciders, Spirits with Jake & John John Storm

Q: What’s behind the changes? our Product of the Year Cotswolds Cream. So you can expect to see some really cool innovations where we’ve John: “Majestic is about more than just wine. We want to make seen success historically. Plus, if you look at the history sure that when customers head to our stores, or to the site, of Majestic’s spirit success – quite often they’re local they’re met with a range and expertise across different listings which have then gone on to make it nationally. I’ve categories. This has been a journey we’ve been on as a sought to replicate that, with core listings for some real business for a decade or so not, upping our credentials local champions from Devon (Salcombe Gin) and Tarquins in the craft world. The aim is to cement that growing (Cornwall). I think customers across the country will love reputation for the long term – and make sure we’re these tasters from the English riviera – particularly in a catering for all customers when they head into our stores. summer of staycations.” Wines. Beers. Spirits.” Q: Ones to watch? Q: What are they key changes we can expect to see? John: “I love the St Austell beers as they have a real sense John: “For beers, it’s two fold. It’s doubling down on old success of place, and also fit in with Jake’s summer staycation stories which have been lost to the range – and then angle. I think we’ll see a lot of sunny pints of ale this year! expanding in exciting new areas too. Whilst we want to be Traditional styles of cider for the same reason too, like on the front foot with exciting new styles and producers, it’s Westons Cloudy. But I think stores will really enjoy getting really important to not lose sight of what many of our VIP behind the new Yeastie Boys additions. These are some customers want from a beer range; traditional, tasty beer. very cool beer makers in New Zealand doing all the right So you can expect to see some more of the sexy, hoppy things - they’re spot on trend and taste fantastic” additions and 0%ers which are driving innovation, but also the return of some customer favourites like Tribute, Proper Jake: “We’ve got a couple of very exciting summer parcels on Job and even one of my personal favourites, Alhambra. the way for spirits which are really going to tap into a Less sexy, but just as important, is the fact we’ve looked Great British Summer. I won’t let too much on here, but carefully at pack sizes too to make this more ‘pick up how does a Pedro X based, Cotswold gin and bitters able’. It’s an important development and will help us to Summer Cup sound? Or a Sipsmith Gin, made using the continue to smash the market”. strawberries earmarked for last year’s Wimbledon - with a hint of mint? Plus the return of some of the spirits which Jake: “For spirits, it’s a slightly different picture. We’ve done a lot first made waves at Majestic; Bathtub Gin, Don Papa and of the ground work last year with bringing back some key Rumbullion. It’s going to be a really exciting year for our brands and customer favourites. Plus Christmas delivered 50-codes!”. some fantastic new success to double down on - like

12 We Are Majestic

An English Wine Staycation

2020 was a record year for English Wine Tourism, with more and more of us opting to visit the vineyards of Kent, Sussex and beyond than ever before. It’s had an Meet Elizabeth Kelly MW effect on sales too – with like for like over the last year up over 100% for our English wine range at Majestic, Our newest member of the Buying Team! beating all previous records! With travel restrictions suggesting it might be a similar story for 2021, and Q: Where have you worked before? bookings already beginning to fill up at cellar doors right across the UK, our newest member of the buying E: “I have spent the last 17 years in the wine trade, starting team Elizabeth Kelly MW is keen to ensure our English at Oddbins (working in stores). I then spent 7 years range is truly 5-star. at the WSET where I was responsible for events (the biggest being the annual graduation ceremony), and I Q: Why is wine grown here in the UK such a have continued working for them as a freelance online key focus for you Beth? educator (to diploma level). E: “Majestic customers (and staff) are known across For the last 8 years I have worked as part of the M&S the industry as a savvy lot. We’ve been banging buying team. My area of buying was English wines the drum for some time around English wines, but I also worked with the team on tenders and wine both still and sparkling. I think now represents a product launches across the whole wine catalogue. really fantastic crossroads to drive interest and Whilst at M&S I also completed the MW, which I passed quality across our homegrown industry - and I’m in February 2020 (the same day as another Beth!!).” really excited to get to grips with the range and Majestic on the front foot this summer! It’s early Q: What do you get up to out of work? days, and the range review is still just getting underway, but watch this space… ” E: “I love reading (especially non wine books now I’ve finished the MW) and cooking (and eating)!” Q: So straight in at the deep end! What else have you got up your sleeve for Majestic’s Q: What new skill did you learn during lockdown? range? E: “I did my best to work my way through ‘the art of E: “I’ve spent much of my first few weeks getting fermentation’ - everything except wine (which luckily to know the ranges at Majestic, with plenty of I had a good supply of!). We tried homemade beer, tastings. It’s been eye opening, with so many kimchi, water & milk kefir, kombucha, Trepache (a kind great wines and styles to dive into. I think the team of Pineapple beer from Mexico) and obviously, the have done an unbelievable job in the last year to cliched Sourdough...” get us to where we are. I’m keen to look at other Q: What’s your favourite wine? new opportunities too; like different packaging and formats (bag in box, half bottles etc!). I think E: “Generally I love English sparkling wine, from the it’s certainly an idea whose time has come, but it’s Majestic range it will be all the Florent Rouve wines – all about getting tip-top quality too.” especially the Vire Clesse.”

Spring 2021 13 Plan update

Rosé To Stay Firmly In The Pink with Joe Aylmer

After a year of record breaking rosé sales, interest in the category has never been higher. So how will our buyer, Joe Aylmer, build on the impressive successes of the last 12 months, as we had into the pivotal spring and summer period?

Q: The figures for last year were eye watering, what do you put that down to? J: “The great weather in the early lockdown, and a real push from our stores teams, helped us to thrash our 08-product code predictions last year. Our sales were up over 70%, and we beat the market by a further 20+%, which is incredible. I think a huge part of that was being a bit more savvy and going a bit more premium. The £12+ category really smashed it, reflecting how rosés can be more ‘serious’ food friendly wines. Plus some key individual successes – like LB7 Rosé which went off like a rocket!”.

Q: So how are you going to do even better this year? J: “For a start, we’re bringing the summer forward! Or at least, that’s the aim. Rosé season at Majestic officially starts now, we think our customers are ready for an early summer and the ubiquitous glasses of pink which follow. We’ll also be pushing premium rosé a step further, with some exciting oaked and premium Italian offers (A Pasqua brand expansion, for one). Some of the successful parcels of last year will be joining the range full time, like the eye catching Bread & Butter. Plus we’ll have a couple of key new additions too!”

Q: New additions, ey… Any to watch out for? J: “After the runaway success of the Guv’nor last year, we HAD to do a pink. This is one I’m really excited about. A blend of 60% Garnacha from Navarra, 20% Bobal from Carinena & 20% Tempranillo form La Mancha; pale pink and guaranteed to be a super-summer-sipper. It’ll look the part too, and we’re managing the colour and labelling carefully! On top of that, the return of some really gorgeous premium wines like Minuty Et Or and Flor de Muga, and the French oak aged Chivite En Barrica.”

We’re bringing the summer forward! Or at least, that’s the aim. Rosé season at Majestic officially starts now, we think our customers are ready for an early summer and the ubiquitous glasses of pink which follows.

14 We Are Majestic Customer focus: Customer file performance

Who are our customers? Where are they?

Our are spread 56% earn over £50k 57% aged 25 - 54 200 stores right across the UK - 88% of the population within 10 miles of a 60% male Majestic.

Over 93,000 VIPs on file - Over 60% more than last year - Just over 350 per store.

80% of all new customers 200 are recruited in stores, stores They share a passion for c.200,000 p.a discovering new wines

4.23 Stars is our average 92% of our customers give 98% of our transactions online product rating. our service 5 Stars. are assigned to a profile

We have 41% of our top customers’ wine spend.

48% of our profits are driven And we now know a lot more about what our customers are by our ‘VIP’ customers. looking for, thanks to some extensive market research…

What do they spend?

10x Visits £10 AOV per year Life time £110 Ave 7 years bottle price

Spring 2021 15 Plan update

Making Customer Loyalty Ap-priority! with David Sinfield

With the focus right across the business on how we can retain and reward our VIP Majestic customers, we’re delighted to introduce the first stages of our new Majestic App! David Sinfield, our Head of CRM, talks us through the early stages…

Q: What can we expect at launch from the new app? that personalised, expert service we give in our stores straight to a customer’s phone, whilst backing up the great D: “Our new App will give our customers another way of work our teams do on the floor. We know it’s something connecting with the business. In its early foundation we’ve been missing for a while now, and can’t wait to get phase, it will allow our staff and an invited group of VIPs it rolled out” to browse past purchases, give ratings, and check details of the wines, beers and spirits they know and love from Q: What kind of timescales are we talking about? Majestic. It’s a bit like replicating that ‘at till’ experience.” D: “Unlike our previous app, we want this to be around for Q: Is there a long term vision? a long time! So we’re going to develop the Majestic app in a number of phases adding additional functionality as D: “Absolutely. Whilst initially this will perform the role we go along. Some of that is already in the plan but the of enabling customers to connect with our range from experience of our expert partners in this project suggests wherever they happen to be, that’s only the first stage. that user feedback will play a vital part in defining it. We’re Down the line we want to be able to offer customers the aiming to have the first incarnation ready for summer, and option to shop through the app, book tastings, view video then continue to build from there – with the potential to notes, get additional product info – and plenty more add things like rewards, personalised offers and push besides.” notifications in the future. We know from our previous Q: What’s the real advantage of having our app? experience that our most engaged customers really love that sense of interaction, and the nice thing is that doing D: “This adds a whole new way of communicating with our it this way we can focus on what people are enjoying and customers, but also acts as a platform for lots of other using most - and keep it growing organically.” avenues too. With our app we can trial bespoke offers, host all of our new and improved content and even alert customers to new deals or events. It’s a way of bringing

16 We Are Majestic

Introducing… The List for Spring! You should by now have seen our fantastic new addition of ‘The List’ land! We’re committed to keeping our customer communications sharp, informative and gorgeous looking.

A huge well done goes to everyone in our Content & Design teams for the brilliant latest flyer. It’s a key commitment to ensuring we have the right marketing for our customers, which really showcase all that is beautiful about wine.

This is part of our key focus to enhance our customer communication channels; getting them to look beautiful, informative and enticing. All that is Majestic!

Matthew Gaunt, Customer Director tells us why this was such a key priority for him and the team...

We know from the Majestic & Me survey of colleagues last year, alongside our own extensive customer research, that ensuring we reward and recognise our best shoppers is really important. Rather than throwing a load of discounts at potential newcomers to Majestic, both our staff and our VIPs want us to honour the people who shop with us through thick and thin. Bye bye WIGIGs That’s what the new app will do; by Hello Special Buys! creating a whole new platform and Our customers didn’t really understand what a WIGIG was - channel for our best customers to or thought that it sounded cheap and like we were clearing out stock. Instead, our Special Buys suggest exactly what experience Majestic through.” we want them to think of; limiting edition parcels of exciting, unique wines.

Spring 2021 17 Plan update Fix What’s coming next?

This year has already seen a revolutionary upgrade in our systems. The biggest single change in our 40 year history.

It’s been a phenomenal undertaking, involving all areas of the business, and a huge amount of thanks goes to everyone involved with the roll out, the continuing fixes and for the level of understanding and commitment across the park. IT Director, Nick Workman gives us the lowdown on the current situation, as well as some key initiatives to look out for in the coming weeks…

Systems update with Nick Workman

Q: There’s been a huge amount of work gone in to get weeks, and we’ll keep you all updated on these. But you’ll us to where we are over the last year or so, what’s also begin to see some completed transformations too, your current focus? with the roll out of BTOne, networking upgrades, printing solution and more besides. These are some big, big wins.” N: “Moving on from the million other systems Majestic was operating on, to one core platform was always going to be Q: What are you most looking forward to? a challenge. We had no choice but to do it at the pace we N: “When we have full visibility of customer view, from store, did, and with the huge scope that we did, such were the to online, to marketing contacts – everything. I’ve talked challenges and years of underinvestment we were at. So before about the mess we’ve had to unpick to get to this. I’d like to start by thanking everyone for their support and One of Majestic’s historic core strengths is our customer understanding as we tackled it. Our key focus now really file; being able to see purchase history and preferences is on looping back on ourselves and making sure that the etc etc. Getting back to a simple, single customer view changes we’ve made are working across the business. will be huge for us all meaning we’ll know exactly what There’s certainly still some challenges there, but I can our VIPs are buying, when, where and why. Plus John assure you the team is working incredibly hard to get it will stop asking me why he has eight different accounts! right for everyone. We’ve got a snag list of around 40 or so So that, plus having the reliable stock view too. It came known issues which we hope to have fixed in the coming

18 We Are Majestic up alot in the colleague feedback that we have multiple sources of truth for product levels, promos, stock counting etc. Everyone’s lives will be made much easier by this in the long term. And finally, I can’t wait to have a beer Our key focus now really is or pizza with my team and say thank you for everything we’ve done. Systems roll outs are incredibly hard at the on looping back on ourselves best of times, but one as big as this – done remotely - has been eye watering. It’s a huge credit to the guys that we and making sure that the are where we are.” changes we’ve made are Q: You’ve just celebrated 25 years with Majestic! How does the last year rank to the previous quarter of working across the business. a century…? “I think it’s fair to say none of us have experienced anything There’s certainly still some like the past 12 months. It’s been an absolute rollercoaster and I know how tough many of us have found it. The one challenges there, but I consistent though has been that ‘backs to the wall’, ‘we are Majestic’ culture. We’ve achieved an unreal amount can assure you the team is right across the business. I’ve been through some sticky periods at this company, but we always come out fighting working incredibly hard to as one team. This year more so than ever. It’s been a heck of a ride over the last ‘who knows how long’, but we’re still get it right for everyone. ready for the next chapter.”

Spring 20202021 19 Plan update Introducing... Shop local!

One of the real legacies of the pandemic ‘Shop local’ takes this a step further. is going to be how consumer behaviours This nifty development means a customer can see the product change, particularly with online shopping. ranges and stock levels unique to their local Majestic branch. We’ve always thought that, even though we have 200 stores We’ve seen over the last 12 months just how important having nationwide, each one is a ‘local’ shop for their area. Now the local branches with their own van right across the UK has been – same can be said for their online shoppers too! with our ability to pivot between dark stores, collection only and walk-in.

“Launching Shop Local puts us really at the front of the retail revolution. It’s a system we know many other businesses are looking to implement as soon as possible, but we’re already well on track! It may not seem pioneering, but it really is. It means that customers can order directly from a store’s local range, with full visibility of their stock levels, bespoke ranges and limited parcels. That not only helps us to curate our offer even further to our stores, it also helps us to build VIP relationships with customers across all channels – online, in-store and over the phone...

20 We Are Majestic How will shop local work? Customers will have the ability to browse the range online either at a national level (from the NFC) or get an up-to- date read on their local store’s holdings. This means those annoying swaps from store fulfilled deliveries should soon be a thing of the past! And you’ll be able to curate your service to your VIPs, with an accurate read on hand. It also means we can offer a range of services to our VIPs. We know our customers love their connection to the branch, and by offering Why is it so important? them our special white glove service through Majestic van delivery, we can look Not only does this help us bridge the gap between our stores after them from the moment they order and their local shoppers, it means that our stores become to getting the wines onto their racks. even more unique – even online. With bespoke ranges and This gives our store managers the real listings, our customers can feel even more connected to ‘their ownership of their own online, digital service. Majestic’.

What makes it so ground breaking? Retailers across the board are looking at ways they can further build relationships with their customers, and serve them post-COVID. We’re ahead of the curve on this one, with the fantastic service our stores have been offering for over four decades now. Shop Local links that to an online platform, almost like a local marketplace for our customers.

Not only that, but by making it as easy as possible for our customers to shop with their local team online we also help to keep our eye on costs. We’ve done lots of work ... It also gives us more control over looking at channel shift and profitability. It costs us less for a customer to shop via a those relationships, and reduces the risk van, and even less if they Click & Collect, compared to via a third party courier. So by of an order potentially going wrong opting to shop local, we not only give wine due to national distribution issues. lovers the best possible experience, with visibility of their full range – we also It’s a fantastic update and further make a saving as a business too. It’s a real win-win. underlines our commitment to having a multi-channel, nationwide store network; backed up by market leading services and development.”

John Colley

Spring 2021 21 Plan update Grow The future looks bright for commercial When earlier this year the roadmap was announced, our Commercial team got right back on the front foot to ensure they were on hand for hospitality’s long awaited reopening.

Commercial update

with Tim, Allen and Joe Tim

It’s been an incredibly tough year for everyone connected with the UK’s incredible pub, restaurant and event industry. But, hopefully, now at least we can begin to look forward to a more positive summer and beyond. We sat down with some of our Heads of Sale from across Majestic Commercial to talk lockdown, looking ahead - and where their first pint would be.

Q: How have you prepped your teams for the restart of hospitality? Allen Joe: “The re-opening hospitality will be a crucial time for Commercial. Our competitors will be in survival mode, whereas we are in growth mode. We are expecting to have a very busy few months of new business acquisition, and our existing customers will need our support during what could be a bumper summer.”

“We haven’t furloughed any of our team (unlike our competitors). All Area Sales Managers have been busy compiling a list of prospects that we want to work with, and have been reaching out to them over lockdown. Some of these will soon be Majestic customers.”

“All ASMs will be confirming Service Level Agreements with all stores, so we know who is opening when.” Joe Allen: “It’s about the fast start and our team’s approach. It’s a real mindset shift, I feel like we’re sprinters on the starting line, waiting for the B of the Bang!”

22 We Are Majestic Q: What progress have you made under lockdown? Joe: “As well as approaching new customers, we have Remember many people who also been in constant contact with all of our existing own/run hospitality businesses will customers – planning with them when they are re- opening, letting them know about our new wines, and be let down by their supplier in the making their wine list as on point as possible.” coming months. They will come into “We have been working closely with our customers your store and be buying emergency helping them manage their credit situation. We have wines. Please can you engage with been flexible with payment plans when suitable, and let them return stock.” them, make it clear we have a “We’re in a good place with stock. We have 21 new fantastic offering to hospitality and refreshed wines joining the portfolio from Italy businesses (including exclusive and South Africa. They will arrive with us in late March ready for those customers opening in April. The rest wines) get their details, and fill out of our range is available in volume which is also great a Warm Lead submission form. news.” You’ll get a £20 bottle of wine, Tim: “From an existing customer perspective, we really feel that we should have some positive credit in the bank and hopefully in time a great new because of the past 12 months. We have tried to be customer for your store. as reasonable as possible with stock and credit and we have remained in constant dialogue with them and offered support where we could. This has come from the store teams, being open throughout, often fulfilling personal purchases and at times taking stock back to help with debt, and from our credit controllers and of course our ASMs who have done everything they could for our customers. Certain suppliers will have damaged their relationships with customers over the past 12 months in the way they have behaved. I would hope that for the vast majority of our customers, our customer-supplier relationship will have been enhanced.” Allen: “A big one for me is the way we think and work with all the wines we have available to us. Wines in stores are no longer ‘retail wines’ they’re simply ‘our wines’ – and then we also then have a range that is exclusive to Commercial customers. This will be a different way of working as things open up, but it is crucial if we’re going to win the bigger and better accounts as planned.”

Q: What are you most excited about for the coming months? Joe: “Whilst we’ve been proud to support other teams through lockdown, we’re most excited about growing Majestic Commercial again. Seeing our customers commit to long term supply deals with us, and bringing on board quality new customers will be exciting too.”

It will also be exciting to show our new wines to customers. Many of them are keen to freshen up their wine lists, and want advice from their wine supplier on what should be on their list to make it as exciting (and profitable) as possible.”

Spring 20202021 23

Plan update

Allen: “Seeing London come back to life. It’s one of the best freshened up our Commercial Exclusive offering. This is cities in the world for bars and restaurants and it doesn’t especially powerful at a time when our competitors will deserve to be so quiet!” be forced to sell wines they’ve been sitting on for the last year, some of which will be out of condition.” Tim: “The region that I am responsible for increased significantly last summer and there was no way I could “It’s great that we now have a proper South African get around to all of the stores and customers in the Commercial range, as before we only had 2 wines. The limited time that we weren’t locked down for.” quality these wines display for the price is remarkable, and we expect them to be immensely popular on wine “I’ve therefore got lots of stores and customers that I’m lists across the UK.” looking forward to visiting for the first time. From the new areas I have been to so far, the IOW has been a particular Allen: “The Credit Control Team; in a tough year, Lee and his favourite and we have some amazing customers over team struck a real balance between understanding our there, with plenty more to go at.” customers position, whilst still collecting the money we were owed. Not an easy task.” “In the same vein, I also have a relatively new team of ASMs that I am working with. I am sure they will attest Q: How can the rest of the business – SC, stores, DC to seeing lots of me over Zoom, but it will be great to – help to support you and your teams? see them in person and in their natural environment of hospitality!” Joe: “There is one big thing aside from the usual support. I’m sure everyone in the business will be enjoying I’ve also got 2 new ‘Commercial hub’ stores in “ safely being back out in pubs and restaurants across Beaconsfield and Winchester opening/being refitted in the county. Please remember we have a growing the coming weeks and months which is really exciting as Commercial arm that supplies places just like your they provide such a great platform for growth.” favourite pub / restaurant. It would be extremely helpful if you can pass on the details of the decision makers at Q: Anyone you would like to call out for special these establishments to the local Area Sales Manager, praise? who can start a conversation about us working together.” Joe: “Jake Biggs in the Buying Team and Erin Keirnan in “In store, remember many people who own/run the Merchandising Team. They have identified some hospitality businesses will be let down by their supplier strategic improvements in our range, and sourced some in the coming months. They will come into your store and superb wines from South Africa and Italy which has really

24 We Are Majestic

be buying emergency wines. Please can you engage Tim: “Now that we are coming out of the dark depths of winter with them, make it clear we have a fantastic offering to and into better weather, I think bike rides with my 3 year hospitality businesses (including exclusive wines) get old son on the back will be back on the cards. The route their details, and fill out a Warm Lead submission form. that we normally take goes right past my local pub which You’ll get a £20 bottle of wine, and hopefully in time a happens to have a very child friendly garden. Once that great new customer for your store.” garden is open it would be criminal not to stop and let my son go on the slides. As he is tearing around enjoying Tim: “Leads, leads, leads! Really can’t stress this enough. the ‘pub, pub, pub’ as he calls it, I will be sipping a local There will be customers using us for top-ups as they will IPA… Can’t wait.” be let down on products. The better the service they get from the store teams in the first place and the speed at which the lead is submitted makes a huge difference when it comes to converting them into a customer.” Allen: “Like Tim, I’m going to say leads! Also, it’ll be over a year I’ve therefore got lots of stores since we traded at full capacity by the time the on-trade and customers that I’m looking is fully open and in that time things have changed and so have personnel, so if you have questions or queries forward to visiting for the first about Commercial, please reach out to someone and ask…” time. From the new areas I Q: Where will you be having your first pint/glass of have been to so far, the IOW wine? Joe: “I’ll be supporting my local pub, sat in the beer garden has been a particular favourite in blazing April sunshine. I haven’t persuaded them (yet) and we have some amazing to list a Vinho Verde, so a pint of cask beer will have to suffice. I can picture it now...” customers over there, with Allen: “I went to the Horseshoe Inn, Bermondsey last July, it’s a great customer of ours with a decent beer garden. plenty more to go at. This time I think I’ll head into central London because it’s been so empty for so long, maybe a Guinness at the Toucan in Soho Square.” Spring 2021 25 More Majestic flags in the map!

We’ll be opening the doors on three more Majestic stores in the coming weeks. Here’s a little preview of what to expect...

Majestic Beaconsfield We’re delighted to showcase Majestic Beaconsfield - our latest store to the Majestic estate - which opened on the 25th March!

Beaconsfield ticks every box as a Majestic location. The town is adjacent to the Chiltern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and has a wide area of Georgian, neo-Georgian and Tudor revival high street architecture, known as the Old Town. It is known for the first model village in the world and the National Film and Television School. The store will form part of a close knit network of Majestics, alongside nearby branches Gerrards Cross, Amersham and High Wycombe.

Placed by one of the main roads in and out of town, it certainly ticks the ‘right store, in the right location’ box. It showcases our gorgeous new branding, fine wine shelves, tasting counter and newly designed van.

Jake, New Manager of Majestic Beaconsfield said...

“To be opening another new store is fantastic! It’s not only an exciting time for me and the team but also the business. I’m really looking forward to getting stuck into Beaconsfield, in particular the fine wine section, especially as we’re opening just before Easter with an amazing offer for our customers”.

Psst... Look out for further updates from Publisher on both our new store openings – plus details on our pipeline for future sites and refits! And don’t forget... if you find an ideal white space location for a new Majestic you could bag yourself £1,000! Head to Grapevine for further details.

26 We Are Majestic Majestic Knutsford There’s a real thrill in Based in the affluent Cheshire town of Knutsford, our next Majestic store fills in the bill of ‘right opening a new store. You store in the right location’ to a t! With local feel like you’re out there, residents including Peter Crouch, members of the cast of Coronation Street and situated putting the Majestic flag just 14 miles from Manchester in the ‘most expensive place to buy a house in the north of in the map; building England’ (2005) – this is an ideal location for a new site. something which is going to We’re taking up the site of a former Tesla be around for decades and garage, which was the first opened by the car manufacturer outside of London in the UK. will be home of thousands of Their decision to move to nearby Stockbridge has allowed us to swoop in and take up the brilliant wines, stories and spot, which is on the most prominent high experiences for customers. It’s street location in the town. a thrilling experience and I can’t wait to get cracking on our next new stores! Richard Page, Opening Store Manager.

Majestic Summertown After a three year break, we’re pleased to be planning our return to the site of our old store in Summertown, Oxford!

In 2018, we closed our existing Summertown branch as the site was to be redeveloped as a hotel and accompanying retail space. Now we’re getting ready to return to a location which saw us generate over £3m a year.

The store, like Knutsford, will feature our fantastic new branding, plus a return to the ‘classic’ model of our stores – with plenty of room for stock, our improved range, dedicated fine wine sections and the return of our Tasting Counters on Banbury Road.

This means we will be closing our more conceptual, small format store in North Oxfordshire as we re- relocate back to the larger branch. Whilst we learned a lot about what Majestic customers ‘do - and do not’ - value about our branches and offer with this store (which we opened in 2018), the incredibly high rents and lack of parking mean it’s not a viable option to keep open.

Spring 2021 27 Majestic Brand

New branding roll out We’re committed not just to opening a wave of fantastic new stores across the UK, but to refitting and developing our brilliant existing estate too. We know this will take time – big physical projects always do. But Spring 2021 marks a step up in this process, as well as a sign of things to come…

De-Pinking The first priority is to get our errant pink branded stores back into the Majestic family. With the launch of our new website and branding, these are now the priority. Our customer feedback shows our customers do not connect this colour scheme with Majestic; which is clearly an issue for our brand perception!

We’ve rolled out an ambitious scheme to get these all back to our new grape-green and slate shades, alongside returning the bunches, as quickly as possible. If you’re in a pink store, you should already have a date for this.

28 We Are Majestic Back to Grapes and Green

This Spring it’s all about giving our stores a good old lick of paint – particularly those that are no longer in keeping with our Majestic look and feel. We’ve rolled out an ambitious plan to re-rebrand all of our ‘Pink’ stores, to get them back in line with our new chapter as a business. The property team are working around the clock to get these done as soon as possible, returning the grapes and greens to some of our fantastic locations.

Why does it matter? Next to be When people think Majestic, we want them to think of great de-Pinked… people, great experience and great wine! Having one coherent, exciting brand across the business helps us to do this. There’s still Wirral quite a lot of confusion about who we are, and what we do – and Taunton the move to pink with a different logo on a number of stores makes Ipswitch it even worse. We know from extensive feedback that the grapes, the green, the slate colour resonate best with our customers, whilst Norwich they don’t recognise the pink, think it looks ‘cheap’ and doesn’t Vauxhall say ‘Majestic’. Guildford Our new look was curated by our shoppers, and then picked by Wakefield our staff – so it’s a real representation of the Majestic we are now, Amersham and where we are going. When a customer sees our logo, visits Sevenoaks one of our stores or sees us online they should know exactly who we are, and what we do! Berkhamsted Maidenhead Tunbridge Wells Queensferry Road Before

SpringAfter 2021 29 Majestic Brand

Where will our Pop-Up, Pop-Up next? Refurbs Early 2021 saw our most ambitious refit ever! Set in a 1920s iconic art-deco theatre, our flagship Clapham store underwent a complete transformation.

Not only was the branch brought up to a high standard, with a new tasting counter, extensive fine wine area and shelving through, we also put in a large extension which will serve as a stockroom for the store and Commercial team.

What makes the development all the more impressive, is that the store continued to trade throughout – inside a small pop-up container placed on the car park. Anani and the team even smashed their target, operating with a limited range, but still serving local customers for walk-in Having the ability to run a pop-up and arranging deliveries with the local stores. Having the ability to run a pop-up Majestic is a game changer, and Majestic is a game changer, and could be exciting for future store refurbs or even events… could be exciting for future store Now ready to reopen to the public, we’d like to say a huuuuuuge well done and thank you for making Clapham refurbs or even events… fit for the Majestic of the future. It was well worth the effort!

30 We Are Majestic Majestic People

Right channels: Subscriptions What’s to come with Mark Capon

As one of our key pillars of growth for the coming years, subscriptions are going to play a major part in our next chapter. Here our new Subscriptions Director, Mark Capon, talks us through his early thoughts and plans for this exciting channel

Your background, and what brought you into the world of wine subs “I’ve only ever worked in wine. I started at a business supplying fine wine to posh restaurants in London doing everything from cellar work, van deliveries & serving customers in the shop (they had to ring a bell to be let in…)

I then worked for a wine company in south west London called Marco’s Wine (who sold their Calais business to Majestic) before jumping across to Wine Rack/Bottoms Up/ Threshers. Ending my time there with regional responsibility but not before experiencing plenty of the day-to-day thrills and spills of running a shop, including being dragged along the road hanging out of the getaway car of someone I just really didn’t want having the all the whisky he’d just nicked from me. (I don’t recommend doing this, by the way.)

I moved to Laithwaite’s to grow an Outbound sales team, responsible for developing personal ongoing relationships with customers. In my time there I was also responsible for the contact centre and for Shops – although there were only 12 of those.”

Why Majestic? After 19 years at the same business I was excited by the opportunity Theof a new task challenge ahead with a winewill company touch I upon all areas and require the full have admired for a very long time. (Back in 1999 I chose to buy our weddingengagement lunch fizz, Ruinart and Rose, fromsupport Majestic in of all. From what I have seen so far, Winchester).there’s no shortage of passion, engagement and energy across

Why subscription?the business so we’re on the front foot there. We just need to The subscriptions market has grown significantly in recent years and getwine subscriptionsthe systems are part sorted of that growth.out and the wine bought. Simples… It is important that Majestic are part of this – it’s what our customers expect and it’s a big opportunity for us.

Spring 20202021 31 Majestic People

Why Majestic? “The opportunity right now is in targeting our Casuals and new customers to grow Majestic sales while doing nothing that might “After 19 years at the same business I was excited by the opportunity cannibalise our core, store base. We expect that many will go on of a new challenge with a wine company I have admired for a very to engage with the stores and experience what I’m calling the long time. (Back in 1999 I chose to buy our wedding lunch fizz, Majestic Store Magic. OK, that’s criminally cheesy, perhaps, but it’s Ruinart Rose, from Majestic in Winchester).” something I picked up recently on a day out visiting stores with Adrian and his crew and I make no apologies!” Why subscription? “The task ahead will touch upon all areas and require the full “The subscriptions market has grown significantly in recent years engagement and support of all. From what I have seen so far, and wine subscriptions are part of that growth. It is important that there’s no shortage of passion, engagement and energy across the Majestic are part of this – it’s what our customers expect and it’s a business so we’re on the front foot there. We just need to get the big opportunity for us.” systems sorted out and the wine bought. Simples…” Our strengths? Spare time “Majestic is different and valued for that difference – our heritage, “Running, kayaking, occasional skydiving and dining out with the quality of our wines, our people, our knowledge, passion friends. Not necessarily all at the same time.” and our service. That difference needs to be reflected in the subscription proposition we present to our customers – we’re not going to do a ‘me too’ offering. We’re better than that. So we have the ‘why’ and are beginning to shape the what and how – and this will start to be communicated in coming weeks.” Interesting fact... I tried dentistry early on in life but discovered that I was more comfortable with a glass of wine in my hand than a drill

32 We Are Majestic What’s new for Subscriptions...

With the initial plans for our new subscription service under way, here’s a sneak peak of what to expect – and why this is different from our previous offer….

What will our new subscription service look like? • Quality & Value – backed by a returns guarantee and no gimmicks – ‘ I’d rather the money go on the wine not the ‘free’ Introducing… The Wine Club by Majestic 13th bottle’. Ability to trade up to better wine on occasion. Wine Club by Majestic - not The Majestic Wine Club. This is a • Discovery – New and interesting wines that you can’t get wine club run and powered by Majestic, with all the advantages elsewhere. Different to what’s in store, exclusives, one-offs of Majestic’s legacy, expertise, customer insight, and award- and 1st previews, although would like some of the wine in the winning buying team. However, it will sit outside the main box to be available to buy again. Majestic brand. We are launching a subscription product • Education – aid discovery on the wines in the box, why they leveraging our trusted heritage, using our access to terrific wine have been selected – ‘I don’t want to feel like it’s just stock at affordable prices – we are the only National Specialist wine you need to clear’. shop so we get to speak to smaller specialist growers that can’t or won’t sell to the major multiples. What makes this different to ‘Concierge’? The Wine Club by Majestic is about showcasing all that is Helping customers discover more about wine great about being a Majestic VIP – but targeting it our casual shoppers. This is all about showing them that they don’t need Core Proposition to visit our stores routinely to get our great wines – nor do • 12 bottles – red, white or mixed – of exclusive wines (not in they have to visit the supermarkets to get a great deal. It’s our shops or online) every 2 or 3 months a convenience, quality led proposition for people who may • Learning themes based around grape/country/region, trend/ only shop with us once a year (unlike Concierge, which was a lifestyle themes e.g. organic/vegan discount led service aimed at enticing our best customers AWAY • All cases closely linked to food pairing – partnering with food from our stores). companies (e.g. Mindful Chef) to create exclusive recipe cards • Two pricing levels: £99 / £149 How big could this be? • Convenience – home delivery or collect from local store The size of the prize is huge. The subscription market is growing • No quibble guarantee rapidly in the UK across all sectors, and it’s a slice of the pie • Simple and transparent value – the whole box cost goes into we can definitely go for. We also already have hundreds of sourcing quality wines (nothing in this life is really free so thousands of lapsed or casual customers who would fit the bill your money goes into buying better wines) for this kind of service on our own books, the ones who used to only shop with us when there was a £10 off voucher or free • Digital tasting notes for all content. Online recorded webinar bottle offer. They’re buying their wine elsewhere – and we want tasting for each case to get a proposition in front of them which is quintessentially Wine subscription service – Customer ‘must-haves’ Majestic but works for them. When we have more of their wine spend locked in (so to speak!) to the variety and quality of • Flexibility – ability to pause, cancel and vary frequency – ‘if our wines, rather than just the price - we’ve then got an even it’s easy to cancel and amend, it’s less of a barrier to try it’ greater opportunity to turn them into longer term VIPs. • Choice – Choose from a range of wines to suit your tastes

Spring 2021 33 Majestic People Meet Jacqui Rouse: Our new HR Director

Our plan is underpinned by our people, who play a vital role in all we do. A few weeks before she takes up the role of HR Director, we sat down with Jacqui Rouse to talk through Majestic, life and supporting people in a pandemic.

What’s your background? to support and develop our teams to reach their absolute potential and from what I can see here at Majestic there is a whole heap of “I’m joining the Majestic team from Prezzo where I am currently talented people with a real love for the product and a drive for what People Director. I’ve also previously worked in a range of retail we are trying to achieve as a Business. It therefore gives us a great FMCG and booze businesses - including Coca Cola, M&S, McVities foundation and opportunity to build upon and create something and Moet Hennessy (part of LVMH – where I spent around seven special. Whether that’s helping people to progress and achieve years). Working with Moet is where my real passion for wines and their career goals, developing the next crop of Masters of Wine spirits started and has been an industry I’ve been keen to return to or helping people to be the best leaders they can be. There is no for some time, so when I got the opportunity to work at Majestic I greater feeling working in HR than to be part of someone’s journey jumped at the chance.” and see them go on to achieve their aims.”

What are you most excited about getting your What’s your approach to HR? What can we expect? hands on at Majestic? “Thinking about our team members as consumers is key. We must “It’s clear from the outside and from my conversations with those focus on creating the best experience for our customers each and I have already met at Majestic past and present, that the culture every time and this is how we should be thinking about our teams. within the business is really positive. You clearly listen and talk to Each team member is as individual as our customers are, so we each other and from the people I have already met I can see the should treat them as such and provide them with the opportunity to passion for the Business and the desire to do what’s right both for succeed; as well as benefiting each of us it also benefits the wider the Company and, most crucially, for one another. I believe that Business. It is all about communication, support and engagement. creates a very strong platform to build on from an HR perspective, I recognise there is much to do however I also see it as an exciting even after the undeniably huge challenges of the last year. We journey which I am really looking forward to embarking on with cannot however standstill, a culture continually needs to be the People team. I truly believe that if we all work together we can nurtured and built upon and this is something I am really excited to ensure that Majestic continues to remain a company that our teams help develop further to ensure we are the best we can be.” feel engaged in, where everyone understands the Company’s vision, longer term focus and the part they can play in its success. “One of the best parts about my new role will be the opportunity

34 We Are Majestic I look forward to starting with Majestic and meeting you all over the coming months, particularly my People team who I understand have done a great job throughout this difficult time.

have been placed on furlough or whether you kept working. Either way the one constant is we cannot underestimate the challenges it has placed on all of us and I am sure that being able to see friends and socialise more widely will bring us all back to life a little. I look forward to starting with Majestic and It is also important to me that as part of this journey everyone feels meeting you all over the coming months, particularly my People supported, recognised and rewarded for the contribution they team who I understand have done a great job throughout this make as well as seeing Majestic as a fun and enjoyable place to be difficult time. I understand that the People team have not only when at work but also a Company that understands that everyone navigated the challenges of all the new Covid-19 legislations does need to switch off and have time to recharge their batteries.” but have among other things supported a number of mental health initiatives, the roll out of further WSET qualifications Looking ahead to the next few months, what are whilst also recruiting in record numbers. HR is such a core part of any successful business which I am sure has been proven so you excited about? much more than ever over the past 12 months and I cannot wait “As quite a sociable being I am looking forward to spending time to be part of this, leading the People team and supporting the with my wider family and friends, with a glass of something in hand! wider Majestic team to even greater success.” I am sure we all are. It is so important to recognise that this pandemic has affected us all in many different ways, no matter whether you

Spring 2020 35 Majestic People Partners - interviews and next stages

We introduced our Partner Programme in 2017 to help give store managers more progression, control and recognition for the incredible job they do in running our branches right across the UK!

What’s the deal with being a partner...

You’ll have seen the recent communications from Majestic & You around the changes to the Partner Programme, with the aim to refresh the programme and provide further opportunities to colleagues.

• An enhanced partner element to the bonus scheme which is simple and pays out quarterly – details of this were shared with you last summer, and can be viewed here.

• Opportunities to access further training to support your progression.

• Priority access to tasting panels and supplier tastings.

• Access to feedback and listening groups to ensure you can help shape how we fix and grow our business for the future.

• Partner Training to help put your business and people plan together for this year, plus sessions with Heads of Departments to hear how their teams will be contributing to business growth too.

• Partner graduation – to celebrate your achievements with you (when we are able to meet all together again).

We sat down with some of the current crop of Partners to chat through how it has helped them over the last few years and their hopes for the future of both their stores and their roles...

36 We Are Majestic Gaining partner status gives your team a huge confidence boost, knowing that all the stores hard work has been recognised. You also have the ability to earn more bonus as a store, which is highly appreciated and can be the first to sign up for supplier tastings, which are great for the teams to be involved in to develop their knowledge and help sell the wines!

And if so, how and which? I was a superuser for the new tills, so did the user acceptance testing (UAT), allowing me to learn a great deal about the new system. I also ran the Emily O’nions training courses for my region and was on hand to answer freshdesk tickets / emails regarding the tills.

During lockdown I duel managed two stores to help implement successful dark store procedures How has the Partner programme and train up a new manager to take over. benefited your Majestic Career? Becoming a partner has given me many more What’s been your biggest success as a opportunities to be heard. From being involved in Partner? listening groups to trialling new initiatives, I have been My biggest success, I think, is gaining the confidence able to give feedback to help shape the future of Majestic. to know that I can make a difference and having my manager and the company backing me to continue to Do you think being a Partner has been develop my career. good for your store and your team? Gaining partner status gives your team a huge Any advice to anyone looking to join the confidence boost, knowing that all the stores hard work programme? has been recognised. You also have the ability to earn I think it’s a great initiative that the company offers, it more bonus as a store, which is highly appreciated and allows you to be at the forefront and involved in many of you can be the first to sign up for supplier tastings, which the changes the company goes through and continue to are great for the teams to be involved in to develop their grow your career and skills after becoming a manager. knowledge and help sell the wines! If it’s something you want, get your whole team onboard, Has the programme helped you to develop be positive and embrace #TWAM to reach your goal. any skills in other areas of the business?

Spring 20202021 37 Majestic People

Having that status: being trusted; having priority access to things like tastings; being regularly asked for feedback and it being listened to: it really makes me feel like a valued colleague and has certainly increased my engagement as a store Nic Hill manager.

How has the Partner programme During partner training, benefited your Majestic Career? getting to meet various I think the biggest impact being a partner has had, on my store and also my own personal development as a Heads of Departments retail manager, is making the switch from running a store to running my store. It’s great having the safety net and provided clarity as to structure of a big company but it really got me thinking about each £ I was spending and would I get that £ back, each departments’ role in which has certainly made me a better leader and to encourage my team to drive sales. Certainly that extra driving our overall plan 1% bonus has made my team and I extra hungry to smash our targets. and gave me a better During partner training, getting to meet various Heads of understanding as to how Departments provided clarity as to each departments’ role in driving our overall plan and gave me a better each section of Majestic understanding as to how each section of Majestic works together. works together.

38 We Are Majestic Leigh Harmer How has the partner programme benefited your Majestic career? The partner programme has benefited my Majestic career as it has allowed me to run the store as if it was my own business. I love the challenges and rewards this brings.

I have been a partner for three years now and I enjoy being recognised as a high performing Manager. Do you think being a Partner has been good for your store and your team? Being a partner has allowed me to trial different initiatives across the business. I have been free to test out lots of new initiatives and ideas which has led to us consistently beating our store targets and improving our business contribution.

Furthermore, my team has been highly engaged by the knowledge that all their hard work has contributed to our success and subsequent rewards.

What’s been your biggest success as a 2. Share ideas with other stores and colleagues around partner? the company. This almost always leads to positive My biggest success as a partner was generating £14,138 results and prepares you for the partner programme in sales from VIP customers as a result of outbound where you are expected to share experiences with calling over the Q3 trading period in 2020. We achieved other partners. our Q3 target by £20,020 so this was highly significant. 3. Be competitive with local Majestic stores! Positive This was the result of having the opportunity to trial competition often results in increased motivation, different VIP call lists over Q2 & Q3. innovation and creativity which then improves results! Any advice to anyone looking to join the programme? 1. Make sure your whole team is on board and bring them with you. You can’t do it without them!

Being a partner has allowed me to trial different initiatives across the business. I have been free to test out lots of new initiatives and ideas which has led to us consistently beating our store targets and improving our business contribution.

Spring 2021 39 Majestic People

WSET Update The last year will go down as one of our most successful ever, with record numbers of colleagues taking their WSET levels 2 & 3 - and pass rates far above the global average!

Over September and October last year, our Regional WSET Trainers have trained over 220 colleagues at Level 2. This is a brilliant team effort, demonstrating how sharing expertise can better benefit the Majestic Level 2 business and each other! Fail Grade Split 2.9% Pass Here’s a summary of our Level 2 performance for 2020: 15.1% • 97% pass rate (the WSET’s global average is 90%). • An average individual test score of 80%. • Close to half scored a Distinction grade of 86% or above. Distinction 43.4% • 60 Level 2 exams taken online through Remote Invigilation.

In 2020 our Level 3 candidates delivered a 90% success rate in the Tasting unit, with an 80% pass rate in Theory, comprising multiple Merit choice and those notorious short answer questions! 38.5% When aggregated, this represents an overall pass rate of 70% at Level 3 which puts us well ahead of the WSET’s global average rate of 57%.

We’ve learned a lot from the What to look out for in 2021? last year about how we can

We’ll be continuing to put WSET and colleague training right at the successfully run WSET courses centre of our People Plan for the coming year. online, but we think face to face We’ve learned a lot from the last year about how we can successfully run WSET courses online, but we think face to face experience is always important experience is always important too. So we’ll be looking to create hybrid courses which feature the best of both worlds - to offer too. So we’ll be looking to create flexible, comprehensive support for colleagues and maintain our impressive pass rates! hybrid courses which feature the There will also be a new intake of colleagues looking to progress best of both worlds their wine knowledge, with more courses available than ever before at level 2, 3 and Diploma stage.

40 We Are Majestic Scholarship Update Diversity in Wine

We’re absolutely delighted with the results of our first Diversity In Wine Scholarship intake, with an impressive 100% pass rate for the WSET Level 2! Many of these graduates are now looking to move into the wine industry full time, or Introducing our new take on their Level 3 too. This Spring our second in-take has already kicked off, Charity of the Year with the next 20 students aiming to pass through the scholarship before summer and sit their exams. We We’re pleased to announce that with 44% of the overall are committed to keeping the programme live, with vote, our chosen charity of the year for 2021/22 is regular meetings and events for past members, as The Brain Tumour Charity. well as ensuring we reach out to more prospective students over the coming months and years. A big thank you to the Charity recovery, I am one of the lucky ones The lack of diversity in the wine trade is not an issue Committee, everyone who voted as I can still live for hopefully 20 that can be tackled overnight, but we can all continue and each person who put forward years or so, however many people to play our part in making it an open, progressive and a charity for this year’s selection. I have met along my journey have exciting industry for all. We’re working on a host of new not been that lucky. I would love fundraising activities and plans for majestic to continue to support “Content and syllabus was perfect, easy structure the coming year to really maximise me further and choose The Brain and well laid out. It gave adequate time to be able our support for the Brain Tumour Tumour Charity as their charity of to research the topics prior and after to the session. Charity – and will keep you all the year for 2021. I’d love to be Simon was great! ... Thoroughly enjoyed the course updated on these via Currents. part of a company that can raise and was a real pleasure to be involved in the inaugural When we all pull together at money for such a charity so close DIWS!“ Eshan (Sunny) Jankee, recent graduate. Majestic, we can really help to to home.” Majestic Colleague We asked the question “out of 10, how would you rate make an amazing difference to your experience of the Diversity in Wine Scholarship?” our selected causes. So please do (1 being poor and 10 being excellent). The average keep your eyes peeled and get Who would you love to see us score was 9.8. involved when you can! partner with as our nominated charity for the 2021/22 “I was diagnosed with a brain financial year? tumour in 2017. Despite having a craniotomy, Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy, there is nothing more they can do to remove or Cancer Hospitality Research UK Action/The shrink my tumour. I am now a person 34.5% Drinks Trust living with a brain tumour. Research 20.9% into brain tumours is massively underfunded, and survival rates are The Brain Tumour Charity just 11%. Furthermore treatments 44.6% haven’t changed in 40 years. Majestic have supported me all the way through my treatment and

This year we’ll be kicking off a range of activities to support our new charity partner, and we’re keen for any ideas from across the business to bring it to life! Get onto Currents and let us know how you’re helping to support, and if you want to get involved even more, feel free to contact the Charity Committee with your ideas and suggestions!

Spring 2021 41 Let’sMajestic talk wine People Celebrating the life of Tony Mason We are saddened to hear of the passing of Majestic’s former Trading Director, Tony Mason. All the thoughts and best wishes of everyone at Majestic goes to Tony’s family and friends at this deeply sad time.

Tony was fundamental to the creation and success and regions (many of which are now best-sellers of Majestic for almost three decades. As the founder across the UK) and developing our fine wine offer. of our first store in Haringey, and a key figure in the Tony’s career in wine began with what was supposed later rescue buy-out of Majestic in 1991 following his to be a temporary summer job, working as a cellar creation and integration of ‘Wizard Wine’, much of our hand at the age of 17 in 1962. Over 50 years later, early history as a company is down to his innovation, Tony was widely recognised as one of the longest tenacity and support. serving members of the trade, and ‘the canniest As Trading Director between 1989 and 2005, Tony buyer’ in the industry. Above all else, Tony’s legacy oversaw some of the most successful and ambitious at Majestic was his approach to wine. He championed years of the Majestic story. Responsible for our offer what he described as “sausage wines” – bottles with and range, he was instrumental in establishing the a rustic, approachable quality which would be ideal specialist credentials of Majestic at a time of rapid with bangers – and he had an unerring eye for an expansion. Under his steerage, our stores were opportunity. bolstered with 130,000 cases of aged Bordeaux bought from Swedish royalty, pioneered new ranges

42 We Are Majestic Births and long service stars... We may not be able to celebrate in person right now – but we didn’t want to overlook these births and long-service milestones from members of the Majestic family...

Births February... March... Tom Newbold Asia Bartlett Flexi Team Brighton Leamington Spa Baby Boy Katie Priest Hannah Finnikin People Team Sudbury Twin boys

Long service stars...

Nick Workman IT Director

Sheila Jimminson Calais Assistant Accountant James Francis “Tony was part of the very fabric Warehouse Manager Fleet of Majestic for much of our history. Paul Jones Assistant Manager Sanderstead He was pivotal in establishing the Steven Miles company nationwide, with much Customs and Inventory Manager of what was, and remains, great

about Majestic originating from Priya Prabakaran him. From buying unique parcels, Payroll Administrator Jonathan Duggan-Rees to pioneering our very first store over Driver High Wycombe

40 years ago, we remain immensely Dan Goalen grateful for his contribution and are Junior Coach Region 5 Stuart Scrace deeply saddened to hear of Tony’s Warehouse Manager Epsom passing. All of our best wishes go Matthew Whitehouse Warehouse Manager Hale to Hilary and Tony’s family at this Andrew Trueman difficult time”. Assistant Manager Kendal Current CEO, John Colley James Gough Assistant Manager Leamington Spa

Spring 2021 43 Majestic People People Focus

Voted 19th Best place to work in the UK, Highest Ranked Retailer at the Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Awards - one of the Best Places to Work in 2021!

How do you get to be the #1 rated retailer on Glass Door? After winning some incredible recognition at the 2021 Glassdoor Best Places To Work awards, we spoke to Lily De Franca about how she and the recruitment team have been working tirelessly to improve our online ranking – and why it means so much to us as a business to do right by our People...

...So Lily, what’s happened on Glassdoor for us to achieve this? “Over the last 2 years we have really taken the time to listen and understand what we need to do as a business to improve our Recruitment and onboarding process, we are delighted to share we have gone from a 2.5 Glassdoor Rating to a 4.1 Glassdoor Rating and we could have not done this without our colleagues help, support and honest feedback. It’s a big achievement.”

Why is Glassdoor so important? “The #1 reason why people come to Glassdoor is to search for jobs and to get an overview of our company. More than 5,250 candidates review our glassdoor page on a weekly basis. Providing your honest opinions on what it’s like to work for Majestic will help potential candidates decide whether or not they should apply for our vacancies and start a career with Majestic.”

44 We Are Majestic Is this the best way for people to feedback about what it’s like to work at Majestic? “Glassdoor is a great tool for job hunting and for getting feedback from across the business, but it can also be quite an emotional place. We always respond and listen to what’s on there – the good and the bad. I know that across the Leadership Team this kind of insight is really valuable, but obviously sometimes it can be quite a hard read – particularly when we’re all trying to do our utmost to support one another. It can be an incredibly powerful tool, but sometimes issues are better dealt with privately and personally. It’s not the only way you can highlight a problem, or give a colleague a well deserved shout out.

Our People and well being is at the top of our People Agenda, if you ever have any concerns or matters you would like to discuss, please do get in touch in confidence, you can do this confidentially by contacting [email protected]

What’s the next step for the Recruitment Team? “Really to keep building on this success! As we continue to grow, that continues to create opportunities and it’s really exciting to be working in recruitment for Majestic at this time. We want to keep bringing in brilliant people into this company whilst also helping to improve it from within with colleagues’ feedback at its heart, plus keeping that pipeline of talent from across the business going. I think one of the brilliant things about Majestic is that we have a great balance between internal progression, and attracting top quality external candidates too. It’s a culture that people are attracted to and want to continue to develop – so our role is just to support our people to do that!” Here is what our colleagues and new starters had to say about Majestic Wine….

Spring 20202021 45 Majestic People Taking on the MW

With both Elizabeth Kelly and Beth Pearce now part of the Majestic team, we have more MWs at MW than ever before! But how do you even go about joining the just 400 or so Masters of Wine worldwide? Well, here’s a bit of insight from my own time taking on the challenge, and what advice I would give anyone looking to do the same…

Jack

Keep It Passionate Like everything in wine, no one takes on the MW for any other reason than because they just really like a glass of the stuff, and the people who make it. You have to immerse yourself in all things vinous – spending every moment you can squeezing in some extra study time on everything from the advantages of different rootstocks, to the commercial realities of marketing wine in China. The syllabus is incredibly varied and, to be perfectly honest, incredibly daunting too. It’s only by being truly passionate about it that you can make your way through the WSET 3, then diploma, then onto MW. Only by being a real geek - and surrounding yourself with other real geeks – can you keep going back to it.

Your Mates Won’t Sympathise When you have to explain to people you’ve spent all morning intensively tasting 24 different samples, you don’t really get a lot of sympathy. Particularly if they don’t work in wine, or understand just how intense academic tasting can be, It’s a gruelling experience – and the institute recommends it’s paired with around 2 hours of study per day (on top of the day job). So if it’s a route you want to pursue, then definitely bear in mind the level of commitment it requires – and also the fact that only other people in wine really understand that not all tastings are the same!

COVID of course has made this all the more difficult. For me, I’m a very tactile, practical learner. I struggle to imagine what the different fermentation vessels look like, or how different pruning systems can counter vineyard conditions without seeing them in the flesh. I can’t wait to visit some wineries, and taste some wine in groups, when this is all over. It’s a huge part of anyone’s wine education, not to mention the most exciting part of the programme. But of course there are far more important things in life right now.

46 We Are Majestic other students from across the globe who have to spend a fortune Starting Learning, And Building getting access to what we are surrounded by day-to-day. I don’t Networks, Now. think I would ever have taken this on were it not for working at Maj and if I can do it, you sure as hell can too. If you think one day you might want to take on the MW - or even the diploma – then start your prep now. I cannot tell you how I would absolutely encourage anyone who wishes to give it a go useful it is to be working in stores, for instance, and developing to take a stab. And if you have any further questions on the MW your knowledge selling to the most important (and often forgotten) programme, the magazine or PR – you can always drop me an group – the consumer. Every opportunity to learn a little bit more email. about the wines you sell and their backgrounds is a blessing. I still use examples of wines I sold in Majestic Swindon eight years ago, or supplier tastings I attended over the last decade, in essays now.

I also rely on connections I’ve made throughout my time in the industry to help me, from leaning on my old pal Beth Pearce MW We are really fortunate as the at any opportunity (we used to drive the vans in Bristol together), UK’s leading wine specialist to or reaching out to a winery we stock for a bit of winter pruning practise. You never know where you, or anywhere else, may end have such a wide range of wines, up – so making sure you make good connections, and drink in any insight you can now, works wonders down the line. suppliers, marketing angles and data too - it genuinely puts Count Your Blessings that into perspective when you Despite how difficult it is, and how high the odds are of actually making it onto the course (only 50% are accepted who apply, and meet other students from across around 10% of those actually go on to pass) I still feel incredibly lucky to be part of this world. It is hard work, but it’s hard work in the globe who have to spend a something fun and exciting. fortune getting access to what we We are really fortunate as the UK’s leading wine specialist to have such a wide range of wines, suppliers, marketing angles and are surrounded by day to day data too – it genuinely puts that into perspective when you meet

Spring 20202021 47 A Grape British Wine Staycation!

With holidays abroad still in the balance, more and more of us are booking our summer getaways in wineries across the UK. So we’ve teamed up with the brilliant Balfour Hush Heath Winery to offer Majestic colleagues some incredible prizes and to truly put the spotlight on our homegrown wine industry! The stores with the highest growth of English wines between May - July WILL WIN…

• One night stay and dinner at one of Balfour’s beautiful country pubs • A mixed case of all our wines (6 sparkling and 6 still) • A signed Jeroboam of Balfour Nouveau (one of only 8 made)

See your wine label brought to life and WIN... To celebrate Balfour’s connection of art and wine, they’re asking you to sharpen those pencils and design a potential new label for the next Winemaker’s Collection release! Please email your entries to Jack Merrylees and check-out previous examples from the likes of Lothar Götz (designer of the latest releases pictured left). The winner will be chosen by art enthusiast (and Balfour owner) Leslie Balfour-Lynn. The winning entry will win a day at Balfour Winery – including a tour of Hush Heath Estate and Balfour Winery, lunch and a tasting with winemaker Fergus Elias.