Oddbins

Oddbins, from its very early days, has occupied a unique position in British drinks retailing. Founded in 1963 by entrepreneur Ahmed Pochee, Oddbins was originally a small business delivering ‘bin-ends' and oddments of wine to the restaurants and clubs of London's West End. It has now grown into the country's pre-eminent wine retailer with 255 branches giving national coverage from Inverness to Truro. Customer influence has always been key to the siting of Oddbins shops and the very positive and significant purchase in October 2005 of 45 Wine Cellar stores situated in the North East, North West and the Midlands, mark a constant move to meet our customers' demands. The secret of Oddbins' phenomenal success lies in two key areas: product range and in-store service. Oddbins' innovative approach, its pioneering spirit and wine-buying expertise have allowed the company to consistently remain one step ahead of the competition. Customer service is a crucial ingredient in the Oddbins ethic and a particularly relevant aspect in an increasingly competitive market place. There is no argument that Oddbins employs the best staff within the specialists on Britain's High Streets. We are determined to maintain this position and therefore continue to put considerable effort and expenditure into staff training and the promulgation of product knowledge at all levels in our stores. Supporting these key elements is an idiosyncratic image and visual style, which strongly asserts itself on the High Street. From the revolutionary works by world famous cartoonist, Ralph Steadman during the 1990's to the graphics found in the latest Oddbins price list, humorous imagery has dovetailed perfectly with Oddbins' stated aim of demystifying and democratising wine and debunking the wine trade.