Oliver’s Wines, the online wine retail platform founded by wine critic Jeremy Oliver, is making its move into physical retail in partnership with former Dan Murphy’s boss Tony Leon. 

The pair are currently scouting locations in Melbourne’s inner suburbs for the first store, with plans to expand into Sydney and Brisbane in the coming years. 

According to Oliver, the physical stores will function as multi-purpose spaces, combining a wine bar, event areas, and an education hub, all closely integrated with the brand’s online platform. 

“A high-profile bricks and mortar presence can drive sales via our online platform in a way that is too hard to deliver when purely online,” Oliver said. 

“It will greatly help us create and nurture customer relationships. Visitors to our stores will discover our unique brand story and experience the depth and truly personalised nature of our online/offline presence.” 

Leon is credited with building Dan Murphy’s from a single store in Melbourne to 88 before he left the company, at which point Woolworths had taken it over. He then became MD of Liquorland Australia, before becoming joint owner of Steve’s Liquor, an independent chain based in Victoria and Tasmania.

Founded early last year, Oliver’s Wines has grown through its online presence, featuring a curated e-commerce offering with decades of Oliver’s wine writing and reviews. The platform is available on the web, mobile apps, and in Chinese via WeChat. 

Leon and Oliver believe current market dynamics present an ideal opportunity for a new wine retail concept, with major retailers narrowing their product ranges and small independent retailers struggling for differentiation.

“This creates massive opportunities for those like us who don’t believe that’s what enthusiastic wine drinkers want, whatever their level of knowledge,” said Oliver. “We can do things at a store level that are too hard for the big guys and too challenging for most of the smaller ones.”

‘We can fill this niche and we have a story to tell,” added Leon.