Costcutter owner Bibby Line Group could be ready to jettison its loss-making Rhythm & Booze off- licence chain to focus on its core convenience business. The company bought R&B in a pre-pack administration just two years ago but the formation of last year’s Buyco joint venture with Mace retailer and wholesaler Palmer & Harvey has left the off-licence group down the pecking order. Trade rumours…

The Barnsley-based operator was bought in 2012 by Bibby Retail, which also runs Costcutter, after it fell into administration and has spent the past six months plotting its future strategy. A new fascia, The Tasting Note, launches next week alongside a flagship Rhythm & Booze. The openings come within weeks of rivals Oddbins and Bargain Booze announcing bids to up their presence on the high…

The man who led Costcutter’s takeover of the Rhythm & Booze off-licence chain is predicting more consolidation in the convenience retailing sector. Nick Ivel, Costcutter chief executive and a director of parent company Bibby Retail Services when it bought R&B from its administrator in March last year, has been hired by accountancy firm KPMG to advise clients on their convenience store strategy. Ivel, who left…