Final Oddbins stores close

The last Oddbins shops closed last night with the loss of around 300 jobs.

At the same time Simon Baile, the previous owner of Oddbins, is in the process of buying six or seven shops from administrators Deloitte.

Lee Manning, a partner in Deloitte’s handling the administration of Oddbins confirmed that a deal was underway this morning.

The six shops are likely to be in the South East but further details are not known.

Baile’s small chain ExCellar Ltd has shops in Ashstead, Claygate, London’s Fulham Road and Paris.

Most of the remaining 48 stores not included in the 37-shop deal with EFB, ceased to trade last night.

It is thought that some 300 Oddbins’ employees have lost their jobs.

The Oddbins branch on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh has been bought by a separate company.

The intellectual rights to the Oddbins’ name has been sold separately but the purchaser remains unknown.

Written by Jim Budd