Jeremy Oliver and Tony Leon. Image courtesy Oliver’s Wines

Dan Murphy’s co-founder Tony Leon and wine critic Jeremy Oliver have announced their plans for a new bricks and mortar wine retailer.

Oliver’s Wines, an online wine information and retail platform created by Jeremy Oliver, has been operating solely online for just over 12 months, but Oliver says he is now focused on developing strategically-placed and highly-visible landmark stores, tightly connected to the Oliver’s Wines online platform.

Oliver has teamed up with Tony Leon, whose career hallmarks include taking Dan Murphy’s from a single store to 88, and the pair are currently searching for the first physical location for Oliver’s Wines in Melbourne’s inner suburbs, with a plan to open “significant” locations in Sydney and Brisbane over coming years.

“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,” said Oliver.

He explained that a physical location with features such as a wine bar and space for events and education purposes would help to “create and nurture” relationships with customers. “Visitors to our stores will discover our unique brand story and experience the depth and truly personalised nature of our online/offline presence,” said Oliver.

Oliver and Leon are united in their conviction that it is the ideal time to offer a high-quality and high value range from makers large and small, known and lesser known, supported by a strong emphasis on customer engagement, experience and service.

“The major retailers are cutting back to smaller ranges of core products from major brands, while the smaller independents are struggling to create a point of difference. So our timing couldn’t be better,” said Leon. “We can fill this niche, and we have a story to tell.”

In a statement to media, Oliver’s Wines said Australia’s wine retail landscape is “ripe for change”.

“While the number of quality small independent retailers continues to decline across all major cities, the big end of town isn’t finding it easy either,” said Oliver’s Wines. “Over the last year the share price of the Endeavour Group, owner of Dan Murphy’s, BWS, and a large portfolio of hotels, has declined by 25%.

Oliver stated that he had “heard reports” that Coles Liquor’s consolidation of its First Choice and Vintage Cellars stores under the Liquorland banner is “leading to reductions in range and choice”.

“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.”

Oliver said he was thrilled to work alongside Leon.

“Tony tells everyone how old he is, but he looks as fresh and as engaged as ever I can remember him. He loves developing retail brands in Australian liquor and to be honest there’s nobody I’d prefer to handle our commercial operations. And it’s a quirky thing we both had our starts in this industry working for Dan Murphy himself.”

With physical stores supported by the free content and online experience at Oliver’s Wines, Leon and Oliver hope to reach and engage with Australian wine buyers who value individual attention, want to learn the stories behind the wines they buy and welcome the experience of discovery that only personal, expert-guided interaction—online or offline—can deliver.

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