Administrators close remaining Clintons stores

THE administrators of the Clintons Cards business say they have been unable to find a buyer for the remainder of the business not bought by American Greetings Corporation and are to close the rest of the firm’s shops by July 31.

Six stores in the West Midlands will be closing. They are the Birthdays shop in Kings Heath, Birmingham and Clintons shops in High Street, Birmingham, Park Mall, Walsall, Churchill Precinct, Dudley, Halesowen and Oswestry.

Clintons Cards, which had already closed the bulk of its Birthdays business after placing it into administration in 2009, was itself placed into administration in May.

Although American Greetings Corporation bought 397 stores out of administration last month in a deal that saved 4,500 jobs, the remaining 330 shops employing 3,000 people have been gradually closing, with administrators announcing today that they are to close the last 76.

Zolfo Cooper partner Peter Saville said: “It is with regret that we have had to take the decision to close the remaining stores. We are nonetheless pleased that in an extremely challenging retail environment we were able to effect the sale of almost 400 stores thus preserving something in the region of 4,500 jobs.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the employees of the former Clinton Cards business we have worked with during the administration period for their professionalism and dedication and to wish them well for the future.”