Majestic Wine is in advanced discussions to acquire Vagabond Wines, which filed a notice of its intention to appoint administrators earlier this month.
Majestic, which is owned by Fortress Investment Group, could strike a deal to buy the embattled chain within days, Sky News reports.
The deal would add approximately 12 wine bars to Majestic’s portfolio, alongside an urban winery at Battersea Power Station.
Sources close to the discussions told Sky News the two wine specialists would complement each other, with the opportunity to grow the buyer’s customer base by pairing up Vagabond’s product proposition with its on-trade supply division, Majestic Commercial.
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Majestic confirmed the news and said it couldn’t comment further on ongoing discussions but said it is “hopeful of securing a deal”.
Vagabond first launched back in 2010 by Stephen Finch in Fulham, southwest London, and offers wine lovers the chance to order more than 100 wines by the glass from self-pouring machines.
At the start of this week Majestic Wine CEO John Colley slammed the new post-Brexit alcohol duty system, warning it will cost both businesses and shoppers more.
The price of some red wines could rise by over 40% next year after the government ignored calls from the wine industry to scrap complicated post-Brexit changes.
Colley said: “The minister demonstrated in this debate a worrying lack of understanding of our sector, suggesting that the alcohol duty system has become simpler and easier since Brexit.
“That is simply not the case. In fact, the system in place pre-Brexit was much simpler to administer.”
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