A new era for Oddbins
Can the son of Oddbins' former saviour work the family magic again? In his first interview, Simon Baile shares his vision with Rosie Davenport
Oddbins is to the wine trade what the weather is to the rest of the population - the subject of an often depressing, yet compulsive, conversation about why it isn't as good as you want it to be.
But if there were a break in the clouds, it surely came this week as the keys to the struggling chain were handed to Simon Baile, the son of former director Nick, who together with Dennis Ing, saved it from extinction in 1973.
Simon's first memory of Oddbins was playing in the cellar of a former Holbo rn store, aged six, while his father talked stock and staff upstairs.
Seven years later, and Simon was working the shop floor himself as a teenager during the summer holidays.
"It was very much a family business, we were all part of it," he recalls. "That connection has always been there. My mum (who ran a delicatessen) used to cook for all the in-store tastings. In fact, she wants to try and do that again now.
"Is this my dream job? Why wouldn't it be? It was the same job my father did. And there aren't many kids who wouldn't see their dad running 63 shops and think 'that looks like a lot of fun'.
"I tried to sell soap powder and cars, but it was never the same as wine."
And now he's in the driving seat with brother-in-law Henry Young, Simon has been given the chance to reveal the depths of his passion. But if the dream means restoring Oddbins to its former glory days, it's going to take much more than wistful reflection.
"The deal was not done for sentimental reasons," he asserts. "We have been knocking on doors for the last year, and it's no secret that all the chains are talking to people."
Castel has certainly been desperate to off-load the chain to recoup some of the £57 million it was rumoured to have paid for it in 2002 and salvage some compensation for what has been a disastrous and expensive attempt to crack the UK.
While the for sale sign has been hanging outside for some time, losses of £8.6 million last year, and tough conditions in the multiple specialist market have hardly made Oddbins the most attractive target.
But Simon's unswerving faith in the power of the brand makes him more optimistic. "We can [turn it around] very quickly, but it will be a challenge. A lot of that was restructuring costs. Castel spent a lot of money on that."
For that reason, he says the company is in great shape to grow - but admits it needs a new focus.
Return of the maverick
The blueprint for Oddbins' future is a combination of the maverick Oddbins of the old days, fused with the experience
Simon has gained running his own clutch of stores under the Ex Cellar name, a company he established in 1999. There, as in Oddbins' heyday, the emphasis is on showcasing quirky, undiscovered gems that excite consumers rather than the "bland, average wines" that he says dominate the high street.
He accepts that, to a degree, the same criticism could be levelled at Oddbins.
"There is a sense that, like any high street chain, there has been a move away from those [quirky] products," he concedes, "but Oddbins does have some good products. We have been to virtually all the stores and, yes, there are things we would like to change, but it would be a mistake to rip up the entire range.
"Ex Cellar's connection with small
independent wine growers is very important and we see it as a primary interest and benefit to the business. The way we deal with our customers - our focus is second to none - needs to be in every part of Oddbins. Things like the way we conduct tastings and other activity including promotions.
"When we opened an Ex Cellar in Fulham, which we sadly no longer have, we were next to Oddbins and Majestic and people would come in and say: 'Thank god you're doing something different'."
Tables turned with food
In the last year, Simon has also introduced a range of delicatessen products into his two existing Ex Cellar stores - another nod to the Baile's family influence.
Artisan cheeses, charcuterie and pickles account for between 5-10% of the retail mix in Surrey's Ashstead branch and have boosted sales by 5-6%.
It's part of a strategy that Simon is keen to trial in Oddbins stores, along with possibly merchandising wine by taste profiles, something that has had positive effects in Ex Cellar, though could be challenging to introduce across an estate of Oddbins' size.
Before nailing their colours to the mast, Simon and Young plan to visit every store to assess exactly what form their strategy should take.
The precise detail is understandably vague, but speaking less than 48 hours into the top job, Simon's vision for the chain is clear - to restore Oddbins' reputation as the place for quality, interesting wines that once inspired a generation of wine lovers. "It's about that special ingredient that was Oddbins. It can't be recreated - that was about my father and I'm a different person, but we want to be the best quality retailer with the best products and if being eclectic is the way to bring the business forward, then that is what we will do."
If Simon is anything like his father, it's a task he will rise to with energy and
verve.
As one of Nick's peers testifies: "He was a very good operator, who came with a very different proposition. He wanted to develop premium wines and he put Oddbins on the map."
Simon says his father, long since retired, is "very bemused" by the turn of events. "He can't quite believe this day has come. The family are delighted, but a bit stunned."
Any fatherly advice? "He told me to get the stock system sorted out. I'm sure if I allowed him through the front door I'd be out in the car park cleaning the cars, and he would be running it all."
Winning his father's approval and respect is just the tip of the iceberg. There's an army of employees looking to the new duo in charge to revive the stores they work in - not to mention an industry that needs a strong Oddbins like never before.
