Drinks specialist Majestic Wine has halved the minimum amount of bottles customers must buy to six.

The firm, which has about 150 UK stores, introduced the new policy from Tuesday September 1 after trialling the initiative at selected outlets.

Majestic Wine chief executive Steve Lewis said: “Customer feedback has been very positive. We are very enthusiastic about this new initiative.”

The 12-bottle minimum purchase rule will remain for customers using Majestic Wine’s website.

The company had faced criticism that its 12-bottle minimum rule was off-putting to people who do not usually buy wine in such large volumes.

Majestic Wine, which bought wine specialist Lay & Wheeler in March, said in its final results in June that the average spend on a bottle of wine was £6.35, and the average spend per transaction was £133.

The firm has suffered falling sales to corporate customers, and at its French superstores in Calais, Coquelles and Cherbourg due to the weakness of the pound.

However, sales to private customers have been upheld, with like-for-like sales in the ten weeks to June 8, rising 2%.

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