Online wine retailer Naked Wines has launched a new service that allows its customers to submit their alcohol orders via text message.

  • Majestic Wine-owned Naked Wines launches “Text for Wine” service
  • Customers can place specific orders or get help from Naked Wines staff
  • Pilot scheme in the UK could be rolled out to US and Australia

The “Text for Wine” service, which Naked Wines owner Majestic Wine called “the first of its kind”, has been made available to shoppers for no additional charge, other than standard network rates.

Naked Wines customers can be “as vague or specific as they want” with their text order, either specifying a particular type of wine or simply providing the type of wine they are looking for and a rough budget, leaving the exact order in the hands of Naked Wines staff.

Customer orders will then be delivered within five working days or can be collected from a Majestic Wines store, a spokesman for the retailer said.

Majestic Wines said the text messaging service, which was the idea of a Naked Wines employee, has been introduced as part of a “constant drive to think of smarter ways for customers to buy their wine” with take up already proving to be “encouraging”.

The scheme is being piloted in the UK and could be rolled out to Naked Wines’ US and Australian operations if it proves a success.

‘New, fast and simple’

Majestic Wines chief executive Rowan Gormley said: “Access to Naked’s digital marketing skills was a clear benefit for Majestic following the acquisition and the launch of “Text for Wine” is a fantastic demonstration of these skills in action. The fact that the idea came from an employee is testament to Naked’s strong entrepreneurial culture, which we are working on bringing across to Majestic.”

Naked Wines UK managing director Eamon FitzGerald said: “We’re extremely proud to launch our “Text for Wine” service, which gives our customers a new, fast and simple way of ordering their favourite wines.

“Initial uptake has been very encouraging and it’s easy to see this service being particularly useful for busy customers who don’t have time or access to the website. Now these customers are only ever a text away from ordering a case of delicious wines.”

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