Fortress Investment Group is in the early stages of preparing to sell Majestic Wine, as per an exclusive from Sky News. 

Majestic was first sold to Fortress in 2019 for £95m in a deal that included the retailer chain and its commercial arm. 

At the time, Fortress had praised Majestic for its expert staff, widespread brand affection and strong channel journey. 

When the sale went through in 2019, Majestic was separated from the online wine retailer Naked Wines, which it had previously acquired in 2015. 

Now, it has been reported that bankers at Rothschild are being lined up to handle the sale process, though it is unlikely to happen soon. 

Majestic is currently Britain’s largest specialist wine supplier, with a network of over 200 stores across the country, employing more than 1,000 people. 

Under the ownership of Fortress, the brand has undergone multiple expansions, including the acquisition of Vagabond Wines and the purchase of Enotria. 

In its January update, Majestic revealed that it had its best festive season ever, during which time it saw a 0.9% increase in total sales in the five weeks to 29 December. 

In its on-trade arm, Majestic also supplied an additional 200 new gastropubs, bars, restaurants and hospitality venues compared to the previous year. 

At present, the price Fortress hopes to sell Majestic for is unclear. Likewise, the reasons for the sale have not been publicly disclosed.