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Bargain Booze has ended a franchise agreement with a retailer found guilty of selling an illicit brand of vodka.

Bargain Booze has named its new chief executive as Diana Hunter – Waitrose's former director of convenience.

The Whisky Shop will open its flagship store across from the Ritz in the heart of London’s Piccadilly on November 22.

Bargain Booze has ruled out rebranding its off-licences under a new name as part of an in-depth review of its strategy.

Morrisons’ new transactional website was launched this week as part of a strategy designed to add £100 million to the supermarket’s wine category within three years.

Bargain Booze will spend £1 million on a national television and radio ad campaign in the build-up to Christmas.

Competition in the own-label battleground is hotting up as the major retailers revamp their offer with Asda leading the charge.

Wine Rack has tipped Romania as an upcoming powerhouse in the wine trade after revealing its Romanian Pinot Grigio was selling as well as its Italian version.

Wine Rack plans to open four or five new stores by Christmas after announcing the business grew 6% over the past year.

The administrators handling the collapse of Waverley TBS has announced 685 staff have been made redundant after it failed to secure a buyer.

Bargain Booze has pledged to step up its lobbying profile on duty fraud.

Accolade Wines has outlined its commitment to the market despite launching a review into its UK operation.

Morrisons has vowed to add £100 million to its wine sales in the next three years as part of an aggressive challenge to rivals.

A Colchester-based wine merchant has set up a body that he hopes will bring together independent retailers around the country and give them a united voice.

Majestic chief executive Steve Lewis has warned that “next year will be as tough as the one that’s just finished”, despite turning in increased sales, profits and prices. The wine warehouse chain’s pre-tax profit for the 53 weeks to April 2 was up 14.5% to £23.2 million on a sales increase of 8.9% at £280.3 million.

 ruling by magistrates in Leeds could alter the way licensing committees and other courts measure the suitability of garages for drinks licences.

Naked Wines is investing £526,000 to help Marlborough winemaker Mike Paterson set up his own label.

Rhythm & Booze’s new owner believes its plans for the chain could breathe new life into a “tired” high street off-licence sector.

The number of independent retailers visiting the London wine fair was up by 12% this year, while the number of visi- tors from off-licences was up 7%, according to organiser Brintex.

Online drinks retailer Slurp is to introduce daily deal promotions in a move it hopes will appeal to supermarket wine shoppers.

Supermarkets need to stop concentrating on deals and discounts and sell wines for their own sake, according to Paul MacKenzie, chief executive of consumer research company The Source.

Oddbins has launched what it says is “the world’s first synchronised wine and music-matching event”.

Adnams has opened a new Cellar & Kitchen shop in Norwich.

Marks & Spencer is introducing 15 wines from six eastern Mediterranean countries.

Online retailer Naked Wines is moving into the US and Australia with low-key retail operations setting up in both countries over the summer.

Specsavers is looking for women in drinks retailing to enter its Everywoman in Retail awards.

A West Midlands wine retailer is hoping to expand with franchised shops.

Ireland’s independent off-licence sector will go out of business in five years, warns the chairwoman of the National Off-Licence Association, unless the Irish government enforces legislation to curb aggressive price promotion and introduces structural segregation of alcohol.

It has emerged that the number of people who lost their jobs in last year’s collapse of Simon Baile’s Oddbins was almost twice that stated by administrator Deloitte at the time.

Bargain Booze joint managing director Matthew Hughes has left the business after owner ECI Partners called off its search for a buyer for the franchise chain.