Former Oddbins owner Nick Baile dies

Nick Baile MW, the man who ran UK off-licence chain Oddbins for over a decade during the 70s and early 80s, died yesterday.

Nick Baile ran Oddbins for over a decade from 1973

Baile, who was in his 70s when he passed away this week, had bought the Oddbins brand with business partner Dennis Ing from the retailer’s founder Ahmed Pochee back in 1973, when the operation was placed into receivership.

Baile then headed the business for over a decade until he sold the operation, which was facing financial difficulties, to Canadian drinks group Seagrams in 1984, which expanded the chain to 250 stores before selling it to France’s Castel Group in 2002.

Then, in 2008, it was Nick’s son Simon who bought the chain from Castel, hoping to re-instate the esoteric feel to the retail brand which had existed under his father’s management in the 70s.

Unfortunately, after two years of running the off-licence, Simon was forced to place Oddbins into administration in April 2011, before EFB Group bought the brand and just 37 of its stores.

More on Nick Baile’s life will follow later this week.