400 more jobs go at Clinton Cards

400 people have lost their jobs after another wave of stores was closed at collapsed retailer Clinton Cards. The group, the UK's biggest specialist cards retailer, fell into administration last month, although 397 of its stores were sold to Ohio-based American Greetings on Thursday, saving 4,500 jobs. Administrators at Zolfo Cooper closed 43 of the 330 stores not included in the deal, leading to 408 redundancies. They have already closed 44 sites last month but are looking for buyers for the remaining stores in a bid to save nearly 3,000 full and part-time jobs. The ailing high street retailer, which operated the Clintons and Birthdays brands, had nearly 800 stores and employed more than 8,000 staff in total. The chain collapsed into administration after its biggest supplier, American Greetings, called in a £35 million debt, putting it in pole position to buy the chain by making it a preferential creditor. The US company's UK Greetings operation, which is based in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, has the brands Camden Graphics, Hanson White, Forget Me Not and Xpressions and supplies outlets including major supermarkets. Clinton Cards was founded by chairman Don Lewin in Epping, Essex, in 1968. Its collapse served as another blow to the high street after recent high-profile casualties including video games retailer Game Group, fashion chain Peacocks and outdoor specialist Blacks Leisure. Clinton Cards stores that have closed are: Ayr, The Kyle Centre; Basildon, Town Square; Blackpool, Upper Church Street; Brighton, Western Road; Bristol, The Galleries; Bromley, Upper Mall, The Glades; Cannock, Peel Centre; Chatham, High Street; Cheltenham, Regent Arcade; Chorley, Chapel Street; Corby, Willow Place; Crawley, 61 County Mall; Croydon, 31 Whitgift Centre (Lower); East Kilbride, The Olympia; Gainsborough; Glasgow, Braehead; Inverness, High Street; Ipswich, Cornhill; Leeds, Commercial Street; Milton Keynes, Silbury Arcade; Newbury, Kennett Centre; Northampton, Grosvenor Centre; Romford, Liberty II; Shrewsbury, Darwin Centre; Shrewsbury, Pride Hill Centre; Watford, Upper Mall Harlequin; and Wrexham, Regent Street. The Birthdays stores which closed are: Basingstoke, Mayfair House; Bracknell; Bromley, The Glades; Camberley, Cambridge Walk; Craigavon, Craigavon Centre; Derby, 145 South Mall; East Kilbride, West Mall; Liverpool, Lord Street; Norwich, Castle Mall; Nuneaton, Market Place; Redditch, Kingfisher Centre; Sheffield, 18 The Gallery; Southend, 82 High Street; Thurrock, 277 Lakeside; Uxbridge, Pavillions Centre; and Weston-super-Mare.