Good Wine Shop opens third outlet

By Gemma McKenna

Published: 03 December, 2014

Independent merchant the Good Wine Shop is opening a third branch - this time in Surrey's Esher - with plans for up to two more outlets in the pipeline.

The shop, which opens on Friday, December 5, is located on Esher High Street and is in addition to the group's Chiswick and Kew stores.

Owner Mark Wrigglesworth told Harpers.co.uk that finding the right site had been a challenge. "We've been looking for two years in this area. We wouldn't normally choose to open this close to Christmas, but this shop ticks all the boxes for us and we lost out on it earlier in the year. We got the call that that sale had fallen through two months ago and we were delighted. We'll take the short-term pain for the long-term opportunity."

As for opening additional outlets, Wrigglesworth said: "We're very certain about the kind of sites we want. If we could find one or two then that would be a possibility."

But he said the group would remain focused in the same geographical area, where it understands the demographics. "We're not keen to step on other independents' toesbut there are opportunities in our neck of the woods."

The Good Wine Shop has also invested heavily in its online offering in the past year, overhauling the website and making additional updates in the last two months. Wrigglesworth said it has been worth it, as November sales were up five-fold on the same period last year. Although still a "pretty small proportion" of sales, he is confident online growth will continue.

The Good Wine Shop has over 900 different wines from across the globe, including a broad selection of grower and Grand Marque Champagnes. Its spirits range encompasses special edition whiskies, fine Cognac and more than 15 gins. It also offers a variety of craft beers, focusing on breweries from London and the south east. It offers free local delivery on cases of 12 bottles or more in the Esher area, and will also have free glass and ice bath hire available for parties.

Wrigglesworth took over The Good Wine Shop in St Margaret's, near Twickenham in 2004. In June 2009, The Good Wine Shop in Kew opened, and in March 2012 the business expanded to Chiswick. The lease for its St Margaret's store ended in January 2012.

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