Tesco’s wholesaler Booker has acquired wine merchant Venus as it seeks to boost its premium alcohol offer.
The privately owned business that owns the Gerry’s spirits shop in London’s Soho was snapped up for an undisclosed sum, The Times reported.
The merchant supplies more than 2,000 spirits and other drinks to venues from its warehouses in Tottenham in North London, Bristol and Leeds.
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It will continue to operate under its existing brand when it merges with Booker and its 140 employees will be transferred across.
Venus founder Laki Christoforou said: “I am incredibly proud of my team and the business we have built. This is an exciting opportunity for Venus to scale up and explore the growth potential across the UK. I am looking forward to working alongside Booker to realise the full potential that this partnership can bring.”
The deal will help expand Booker’s reach with bars, restaurants and pubs as the wider Tesco group looks to diversify its offering.
This week the supermarket chain launched a new online marketplace, which it claims will make the Tesco website a “one-stop shop for everything customers need” once it reaches full scale.
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