A wine store has opened its doors in the former Santander Unit, in Harpenden High Street.

Majestic, at 31a High Street, opened its doors to the public at 10am this morning (Tuesday, April 4).

The Herts Advertiser attended the event, which featured a ribbon cutting and champagne handed to guests.

The new store is the first of Majestic's "small store concept" to open outside London, with larger stores - such as St Albans - present throughout the country.

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The Harpenden branch is less than half the size of an average Majestic store, at 1,800 square feet.

Herts Advertiser: A selection of 600 wines is present at the location.A selection of 600 wines is present at the location. (Image: Pearce Bates)

A selection of over 600 wines is present at the location, along with beer and non-alcoholic alternatives.

                                                                                    

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It is the fifth shop opened by Majestic in the 2022/23 financial year, after stores opened in Haywards Heath, Godalming, Stafford and Preston.

Herts Advertiser: Easter theming was present inside the store.Easter theming was present inside the store. (Image: Pearce Bates)

Eight more locations have been planned for the next 12 months, including Banstead, Saltash, Thame and Truro.

The chain is owned by Fortress Investment Group, which was co-founded by Wes Edens - joint owner of Premier League football club Aston Villa.

CEO of Majestic, John Colley, said: "We are delighted to be opening our doors in Harpenden - a location we have had our eye on for some time.

Herts Advertiser: Wines, champagne, beer and non-alcoholic drinks are all available.Wines, champagne, beer and non-alcoholic drinks are all available. (Image: Pearce Bates)

"Everyone at Majestic is looking forward to serving the local community and bringing our expert wine knowledge to the town.

“The trial of this smaller format offers us an exciting opportunity to serve our customers in new ways and cater for a number of different shopping missions. The lessons we learn in Harpenden will be invaluable as we look to further grow our store estate.

Herts Advertiser: The Harpenden branch is the fifth new Majestic store to open in the current financial year.The Harpenden branch is the fifth new Majestic store to open in the current financial year. (Image: Pearce Bates)

"This marks the fifth and final new Majestic store opening of our financial year, following the incredible response of customers to our other new locations.

"The strong performance of those new shops, our existing estate, and our e-commerce and Commercial businesses means we head into what will be another challenging financial year with good trading momentum.”