Retailer 'well placed for Christmas'
Greeting cards and gifts group Clinton Cards has revealed like-for-like sales are up at both its eponymous and Birthdays chains.

In the first 17 weeks of the financial year, like-for-like sales advanced 1.9 per cent and 4 per cent at Clinton Cards and Birthdays respectively.

In an AGM statement the retailer said it was continuing with its store divestment programme at both chains. The number of Birthdays stores has reduced by 45 to 365 and the number of Clinton Cards stores has reduced by three to 732.

It added that both brands are 'well prepared and well placed for Christmas trading'.

In October, Clinton Cards chairman Don Lewin said that a like-for-like sales dip of 3 per cent for the 52 weeks to July 30 was the result of 'Christmas trading [being] the most challenging for some years'.

Numis retail analyst Steve Davies said: 'The company says that it is 'well placed for Christmas trading'. Given the general nervousness about the rest of the sector, that is encouraging.'

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