Majestic has launched a major recruitment drive for 150 new colleagues as the UK’s largest specialist wine retailer gears up for its “biggest-ever Christmas”.

The wine retailer is expanding its store teams with a mix of permanent and temporary roles across its 216 shops nationwide, as it looks to build on last year’s record festive trading and lay the groundwork for further bricks-and-mortar growth.

Positions include delivery drivers, sales assistants, assistant managers and trainee managers, with the latter joining Majestic’s development programme designed to fast-track them into store management within a year.

The retailer said it has also begun hiring for permanent roles at its new Truro branch, its fifth store opening of 2025, which is due to open next week.

Alongside new hires, Majestic will once again draw on its ‘Majestic Reserves’ network of former employees, allowing flexible cover during the busy Christmas trading period and helping to maintain service levels when demand peaks.

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The recruitment push follows a record 2024 festive season in which Majestic – which employs over 1,500 colleagues across its stores, distribution centre and Watford support office – revealed it had delivered the biggest Christmas in its 45-year history, growing sales 1.9% in the six weeks to 30 December.

“We live for Christmas at Majestic – it’s our busiest time of year, but also our most exciting and most enjoyable,” said Majestic managing director Elizabeth Newman.

“Our stores are always absolutely buzzing and our proposition really comes into its own, helping our customers discover new wines to taste with their friends and families over the festive period.

“If you love wine and want to join a passionate and fast-paced team, we could have the perfect role for you at Majestic. Our new colleagues will not only help us to deliver another Majestic Christmas for our retail and on-trade customers, but will set us up to drive further growth next year and beyond.”

Since separating from Naked Wines and being acquired by Fortress Investment Group in 2019, Majestic has opened 26 new stores, refurbished dozens more.

Majestic recruitment drive follows other grocery retailers announcing a festive hiring spree, including Aldi, which is looking for 4500 new store colleagues, and Sainsbury’s and Argos which are hiring 19000 seasonal roles.