Majestic Wine's Online Sales Rise 8.3% After Third Generation Web Launch

Wine merchant Majestic Wine said the third generation of its online site in July helped carry internet sales up 8.3 per cent.

It said the site was launched on a new platform and will provide the firm 'with the infrastructure to handle expected future growth through the online channel'.

Online sales now account for 10.3 per cent of its £130.2 million sales in the first half to September 30. Total sales increased 3.3 per cent and pretax profit increased 4.2 per cent to £9.5 million.

'[The new site] delivers a much enhanced customer experience including an improved click and collect proposition. Improved functionality now enables us to disply local stock availability which gives customers a greater range to choose from and improves our operational efficiency,' the company said this morning in a London Stock Exchange announcement.

Like-for-like sales declined 0.4 per cent because of the boost the company received the previous year from the Jubilee. It said the figure was also adversely affected by the change in the timing of Easter, which was earlier this year and therefore fell outside the accounting period.