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Amathus to open wine warehouse and four further retail stores this summer

12 June 2024 By Arabella Mileham

Specialist drinks distributor Amathus Drinks is expanding its retail estate with the addition of five new stores over the next few months, including a wine warehouse in the west of London.

Locations for the new shops are Elgin Crescent in Notting Hill (its second in the West London neighbourhood), High Street Wimbledon, Earls Court and East Sheen, where the wine warehouse will be located. It is also planning to open a shop, its fourteenth Amathus store, in Oxford. It already has shops outside the capital, in Bath and Brighton.

MD Harry Georgiou noted that retail was hugely important to the business, and part of its “DNA”, believing that “the best will continue to serve the best”.

“We’re not blind to the economy but we’ve never been short of ambition,” he said. “Our stores provide our buyers the perfect opportunity to source the best wines and spirits from across the world and to have the vast and eclectic range available to our trade buyers.”

The UK specialist drinks importer, distributor and retailer previously told db it remained optimistic about the state of the high street, noting that its retail arm gave the business “more flexibility as an importer” as they could take a chance on something that could be more difficult to sell to the trade, but which could be hand-sold through the retail business.

“I see no reason not to double our footprint again and at a faster pace,” Georgiou added.

Amathus opened its first retail store in 1978, with the retail business closely entwined with its trade side as a premium London wholesaler.

“Retail is a jewel, no doubt, but it’s set in our trade crown,” Georgiou continued. “Our standing in the trade gives us a huge reach, and synergies between our two offerings are tremendous. The opening of our first wine warehouse is a completely natural evolution for us.”

Jeremy Lithgow, MW, added that the number of drinks unique to Amathus made its stores “a key destination for anyone interested in exceptional wine and spirits – on both sides of the counter”.

“We’re lucky to have some serious wine nerds, award winning mixologists and spirits geeks who quite literally speak the same language as our very particular customers, and the recent appointment of Ana [Jackson MW] speaks volumes,” he added.

Jackon, (née Sapungiu) joined the business as the new head of wine business development in February, having previously been head buyer at Oddbins. Former Vivino exec Andy Harris also joined the company as its new marketing manager.

The company launched a private client service in 2023, as it celebrated its 45th anniversary, which Lithgow said was expected to grow “exponentially”.

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