Slurp.co.uk acquired by SH Jones

By Emily Kearns

Published: 21 June, 2013

Online wine retailer Slurp.co.uk has been acquired by family-owned wine merchant SH Jones.

The acquisition between Ribica International (trading as Slurp.co.uk) and SH Jones will see the fusion of traditional high-street wine retailing with up-to-the-minute online methods.

This is SH Jones's second online acquisition this year, following the purchase of Hawkshead Wines in January.

Greg Shaw (pictured), commercial manager for SH Jones and former proprietor of Hawkshead, said: "We discovered very early on during the integration of Hawkshead and SHJ that the strengths and synergies of bringing together an online business and a traditional bricks-and-mortar business can be a very successful combination.

"The addition of Slurp is a very exciting development, and gives a very strong presence in online retailing and the base to develop the business further in the future. Hawkshead Wines has an outstanding reputation for customer service and combining this with Slurp's innovative and extensive range, we believe that SH Jones will become one of the country's leading internet retailers."

Slurp.co.uk was established in 2004 and is credited with developing one of the most sophisticated online wine retail platforms there is, as well as helping to pioneer the sale of single bottles delivered to customers' doors - a service it alleges is not currently offered anywhere else.

SH Jones began life in Banbury in 1848 and has been owned by the Jones family since 1886. It boasts a long-established and respected reputation supplying the on-trade and currently operates four retail outlets in and around the Oxfordshire town.

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