UK’s top wine business to open new store as permission granted

The UK’s largest specialist wine retailer is set to open a new location after being granted planning permission.

Majestic Wine submitted plans for a vacant warehouse at the former Travis Perkins site, opposite the Premier Inn in Church Wharf, Rickmansworth, in July.

Yesterday (September 23), Three Rivers District Council approved the application and granted it permission to operate 7am to 8pm Monday to Saturday and 9am to 5pm on Sundays and bank holidays.

The brand said it had apparently been looking for the right location for a Rickmansworth shop since 2004. Despite being headquartered in Watford its nearest Hertfordshire location is in St Albans.

With the building being classed as a ‘builders merchant’ before the change of use to ‘retail’ was allowed, the area is not generally set-up for shops. However, Majestic Wine argues that its large stores are different as it is a “bulky goods” retailer, expecting just 25 to 30 sales per day with the average amount spent on a single transaction being over £110.

(Image: PA) Majestic Wine plans to employ five full time members of staff at the store, with the roles being skilled jobs following a training programme designed to give salespeople “unparalleled wine knowledge”.