The appointment of administrators to Oddbins threatens to bring down the shutters on a lifelong dream for owner Simon Baile. Although he was following in the footsteps of his father, Nick, the man credited with saving the chain from administration in 1973, his crusade has had the same success.
Mr Baile blames Oddbins’ predicament on protracted financial wrangles over the deal struck with French owner Castel in 2008, plus poor Christmas trading because of heavy snow.
Within hours of announcing that the chain would go into administration, suitors were circling and Deloitte believes it will find a buyer without having to carve up the business.
The big off-licences have been falling recently, most notably First Quench Retailing, the owner of Threshers. But First Quench had 1,300 stores nationwide, and Oddbins now has 89 shops — a far more manageable number for a potential investor.
Since the collapse of First Quench, moreover, there has been a remarkable transformation in off-sales.
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From the ashes, a new breed of drinks shops has sprung up, demonstrating that it is possible to sell alcohol beyond the aisles of the large supermarkets.
Entrepreneurs with an appetite for the market have transformed former Thresher sites and other shops into thriving chains, while independent operators with single stores are flourishing on the back of innovative ranges sold with passion by knowledgeable staff.
In many respects, they represent the the ethos that Oddbins stood for in its 1980s heyday.
If a new owner can reignite some of that trailblazing spirit and invest in promoting the brand’s credentials to a wider audience, it stands a good chance of ensuring that the Oddbins name lives on.
• Rosie Davenport is editor of Off Licence News