Diageo is taking its brands online

Diageo has launched an online shopping portal, allowing it to sell direct to UK customers for the first time.

Alexander & James, which will stock Diageo's luxury "Reserve" brands, is a “white glove” platform created for high-end customers, the company said last week. It will deliver within two to three days in the UK, Diageo said.

“We created Alexander & James in response to the way people are seeking to purchase luxury items online,” Alexander & James MD Philippa Dickson said. “We identified an opportunity to create a luxury e-commerce platform that would be engaging and inspiring, bringing the brand product credentials to life.”

The site will sell the following brands: Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve, Tanqueray No. Ten, Ciroc Ultra Premium Vodka, Ketel One Vodka and selected Diageo single malts.

A branding expert told just-drinks last year that companies need to make more use of virtual stores as customer habits change.