A HIGH street card retailer with 163 branches is set to close another two stores – with huge closing down sales launched at both locations.
Clintons stores in Halifax, west Yorkshire, and Andover, Hampshire, are both due to shut for good this April.
Fans first learnt of the Halifax closure after signs went up in the store window.
These declared that “everything must go”, according to The Courier.
Meanwhile, staff members at the Andover site were told they would be losing their jobs before Christmas.
A spokesperson told Andover Advertiser: “We were told the shop will close in April, there are about eight people working here at the moment, including temporary staff.”
Last month, the store launched a sale with 20 per cent off all items.
Clintons was first launched back in 1968 – and quickly became a go-to for Brits looking for greetings cards.
At one point, the chain boasted more than 1,000 branches across the country.
However, the rise of online shopping drove a decline in sales for the business – and it was forced to heavily cut down on locations.
The company was then taken over by Cardzone in March last year.
However, the new ownership has not seemingly been able to stem the flow of closures.
[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”Why are so many pubs and bars closing?” embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”default” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6352178578112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]Last month, it was reported that a Clintons Cards in Southend had closed its doors for the final time after trading for two decades.
The Sun has reached out to Clintons for comment.
[authenticated-scripts src=”%3Cscript%20class%3D%22palin-poll%22%20src%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thesun.co.uk%2Fpollingwidgets%2Fv3%2Fwidget.js%3Fquestion_id%3D108200%26game%3Dpolling%22%3E%3C%2Fscript%3E” type=”embedded” width=”100″ /]RETAIL SECTOR STRUGGLES
The retail sector has been hit hard in recent years as the trend towards online shopping intensifies.
The most recent data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows online retail sales increased from 5% of all retail sales in 2008 to 27% in 2022.
Shoppers have also been feeling the pinch in recent years following sky-high inflation which has dented their wallets and purses.
It has led to a number of major retailers having to close stores to shore up their finances.
Boots announced in 2023 it would shut 300 of its branches in a bid to slim down its high street presence while WHSmith is in talks to sell off 500 of its stores.
Jewellery chains have been forced into closing branches as well.
Claire’s has closed a number of stores in recent years, including in Gillingham, Nuneaton and Newton Abbott.
T H Baker also shuttered a branch in Cambridge in May last year.
