RNDC files for bankruptcy as distributor seeks buyers for remaining business

Republic National Distributing Company, one of the United States' largest wine and spirits distributors, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it seeks buyers for its remaining operations. The company, which has been divesting state operations over recent months, blamed structural changes in the US drinks market and shifting consumer preferences for its financial difficulties. The court-supervised process aims to facilitate orderly sales of remaining markets whilst protecting over 5,000 jobs already preserved through earlier asset sales.