Naked Wines has said profitability will be at the top end of guidance for the year ending April 3. The online retailer said in a pre-close trading update today that FY23 adjusted EBIT is expected to be £15-18 million. The update follows a revised outlook for FY23 EBIT, issued back in January, from previous guidance of £9-13 million, to £13-17 million. Naked…

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has appointed Majestic’s chief operating officer, Rob Cooke, to its board. The trade organisation welcomed Cooke’s experience at what it called an “important time for the wine industry”, with issues such as DRS and duty changes on the agenda. Cooke sits on the Majestic executive team and oversees the wine retailer’s ecommerce, buying and marketing functions, as well…

Majestic has announced a new pay structure which will see a salary rise for retail colleagues.  In a move to protect its employees from the cost of living crisis while also recognising the “expertise and experience of store teams”, the new pay system will take into account retail colleagues’ wine qualifications, as well as overall experience and store revenue.  Majestic store managers…

Waitrose is to test selling wine without plastic and foil sleeves around bottle necks, in what it claims is a first for UK supermarkets. The removal of sleeves, which the company said form no functional purpose, is being trialled on Waitrose’s Loved & Found wine range of lesser-known grape varieties and wine regions. Initially four bottles will be sold without neck capsules, and by the…

Online grocery retailer Ocado has appointed Helena Nicklin and Aleesha Hansel as its wine ambassadors. As part of the partnership, Nicklin and Hansel will feature on Ocado’s social channels to share wine recommendations. Vanessa Pearson, BWS trading manager at Ocado, said the retailer is aiming to provide consumer education through its collaboration with Nicklin and Hansel. “We know that all that choice…

Majestic has opened a smaller format store in Harpenden, as it looks at new ways to expand its bricks-and-mortar presence. The company said today that the 1,800 sq ft shop, which is on the high street and close to the train station, is “less than half the size” of the average Majestic store.   The shop will carry a range of around 600 wines, including…

Bier Nuts, the online beer retailer trading as Bier company, has entered administration. According to a filing on Companies House yesterday, the company has appointed an administrator, though the official document will not be available for 10 days. The Companies House record also shows that accounts to March 31 are now overdue. Meanwhile, The Gazette, which is an official public record, states that the administrators…