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In the weeks before Christmas, many people decide to stock up on wine for the festive season, we're no exception, but in the interest of research, we decided to put some of the UK's top Wine Merchants and Wine Clubs to the test.
On 9th November 2008, posing as new customers, we visited the websites for Majestic, Oddbins, Tesco Wine Club and Laithwaites to order a mixed case of wine for our Christmas party.
All companies offered a range to suit different tastes and budgets, but wherever possible we have chosen the cheapest mixed case on offer and will report back, giving our opinion of the standard of the wine delivered.
We found Majestic's website easy to navigate, and had no trouble in finding their selection of mixed cases, selecting their Winter Dozen at £49.88 for 12 bottles. As a retailer, Majestic imposes a minimum order size of at least 12 bottles. This is not a problem for this comparison, but some customers may prefer to order smaller quantities.
With free delivery and paying £49.88 for a basic mixed case the wine from Majestic worked out at £4.16 per bottle.
Oddbins website was easy to navigate and we quickly found our way to their section selling mixed cases.
There are nine different options on offer for a mixed case of 12 bottles, ranging from a New World Dozen at £59.74 (reduced from £74.68) up to a case of d'Arenburg wine at £130.70 (down from £163.38).
As we were on the hunt for good value, party glugging wine, we chose the New World Dozen.
Registering with the site was quick and easy however when ordering, we were disappointed to be charged a further £6.99 for delivery or £12.99 for delivery on a specified date.
The standard delivery charge increased the total cost of the case to £66.73, equivalent to £5.56 per bottle.
Not unsurprisingly, the offer from the UK's largest supermarket was one of the cheapest, and also had the widest choice. Tesco only offered cases of six bottles, but the minimum order for wine is 12 bottles. Prices ranging from £48.00 to £132.00, however the was a £5 delivery charge on any order under £99.
Ever conscious of budget, we decided to choose the White Mixed Christmas Case of 6 bottles and the Classic Reds Mixed Case of 6 bottles, both at £25. The total cost of 12 bottles was £55 including delivery per or £4.58 per bottle.
The Sunday Times Wine Club is administered by Laithwaites and prices and offers appeared to be the same.
The best value mixed case was the Great Value Discoveries at £57.00 for a dozen, excluding delivery. Adding the cost of Standard Delivery at £6.99, increased the cost of our case to £63.99 or £5.33 per bottle.
Our Conclusion
It was disappointing to be charged extra for delivery from all companies except Majestic, who were also the cheapest retailer, excluding delivery. In the current economic climate, we believe that many customers are looking for reasonable quality wine at an affordable price and with this in mind, we would recommend Majestic if ordering online for your Christmas Dinner Party.
We do expect that the competition to hot up as christmas approaches and the banners shown below indicate a selection of the latest offers available.
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