Majestic Wine toasts ‘greatest ever Christmas’ as report numbers of last-minute buyers refill on booze

Majestic Wine said it had recorded its busiest ever trading day, as shoppers left it until the last minute to stock up for Christmas.

The wine retailer, which runs around 200 stores in the UK and Jersey, said 23 December was its biggest day for sales in its history, beating last year’s record.

It also said it had its busiest ever Christmas Eve as customers bought wine, beer and spirits ahead of the bank holiday.

Overall sales inched up 0.9 per cent over the five weeks to 29 December, compared with the same period the year before, while customer numbers jumped 11 per cent.

Record sales: The wine retailer posted its best ever trading day over Christmas

By contrast, some pubs and restaurants have struggled as they have been pushed to pass on their higher costs directly to customers, and they increasingly opt to drink at home.

Toby Carvery owner Mitchells & Butlers last week cheered record Christmas Day sales, but the majority of growth came from food.

Majestic has managed to beat the doom and gloom felt in the wider retail sector too, which saw sales fall 4.1 per cent over December, according to data from Kantar Worldpanel.

It comes just two weeks after the retailer reported its pre-tax profit was slashed from £14.3million to £7.8million.

The business said it had been affected by a ‘more challenging’ economic environment and ‘fragile consumer confidence’ because of uncertainty over tax policies.

In Tuesday’s trading update, Majestic said sales of French wine increased 4 per ent, while English wines jumped 27 per cent compared to the previous year.

Sales of wines from what ‘off-the-beaten-track’ regions, including Greece, Germany, Austria and Hungary, grew 14 per cent.

Elizabeth Newman, Majestic’s retail managing director, said the stronger trading came ‘at a time when customers are moderating their alcohol spend but seeking out better quality wines, beers and spirits’ which was drawing them to Majestic’s ‘differentiated product range’ and ‘expert advice’.

Chief executive John Colley added: ‘We’re heading into 2026 with good momentum and confidence that our strategic plan will continue to deliver growth across the group.’