A major wine retailer has confirmed it intends to close shops as part of a major company restructuring.

Majestic Wine, which has stores in Tenterden and Canterbury, also says it plans to change its name.

The company, which also owns online wine retailer Naked Wines, says the move is designed to shift funding from its shops and into its fast-growing Naked online subscription division.

The name change would see the group becoming known simply as Naked Wines.

Stores will be migrated to the Naked name over time - although it is understood the firm's management has not ruled out selling the Majestic brand.

Details of which stores are to close will not be made until June.

Rowan Gormley, group chief executive, said: "It is clear that Naked Wines has the potential for strong sustainable growth, and we will deliver the best results for our shareholders, customers, people and suppliers by focusing all our energies on delivering that potential.

"We also believe that a transformed Majestic business does have the potential to be a long-term winner, but that we risk not maximising the potential of Naked if we try to do both.

"Where we have no choice but to close stores we will aim to minimise job losses by migration into Naked.

"Therefore we have taken a decision to focus all of our capital and energies into delivering the long-term potential of Naked, and releasing value from Majestic. Our plans for doing this are well advanced, and we look forward to sharing the final details in June."

Since its acquisition by the group in 2015, Naked has more than doubled in size, with sales expected to exceed £175m this year bringing the total since acquisition to nearly £600m.

Some 45% of the companies income is now derived from online sales.

It has also made significant in-roads into international markets such as the US and Australia.