Wine merchant Oddbins has issued a positive trading update, saying it has “moved on from its troubled past.”

The company said it has enjoyed “sustained double-digit sales growth” over the ten weeks to 28 March, with online sales up 38% and footfall in stores up 5%. Average basket size grew 8% in the period and sales of champagne increased 12.5%.

Oddbins was bought by Simon Baile - whose father Nick owned the business in the 1970s - 18 months ago from French wine merchant Castel Freres. He said he was confident the corner had been turned, and that a focus on smaller, family-owned wine producers was helping create a distinctive offer. “We expect this upward trend not only to continue but to accelerate as more of our improved offering falls into place,” he said.