Bargain Booze has been put up for sale by its private equity owners with a price tag of up to £100m.

Owner ECI Partners has appointed KPMG to run the sale process of the 600-store group, according to The Independent. First round bids for the 600-store discount off-licence chain are due around the end of September.

Information memoranda were sent out earlier this month.

The franchise group includes Bargain Booze, Bargain Booze Plus, and Thorougoods fascias.

The chain delivered pre-tax profits of £13.2m in the year to April 30, 2010, with sales of £371m.

ECI Partners bought Bargain Booze for £63.5m in January 2006.

A Bargain Booze spokesman told the paper it had appointed advisers to look at a range of options including a sale or refinancing.