'Tumbleweed Town' fears high street card store with 200 stores will have to close branches
SHOPPERS are disappointed after a 180-store high street card retailer prepares to close a new branch for good.
Clintons Cards announced last year that it was considering plans to close 38 of its stores to avoid insolvency.
Half a dozen stores have already closed, including in Cambridgeshire, Cumbria and Northamptonshire.
The chain currently has 179 stores nationwide and employs 1,400 people
Now Clinton Cards is set to down the shutters of its branch in Castle Street, Hinckley, Leicestershire, on February 17.
Shoppers have taken to social media to share their sadness over the decision.
One Facebook user said: 'Sorry Hinckley's brand of Clinton cards will be closing on February 17th.
“So hurry while you can to get all your lovely Valentine's Day gifts and cards.
“There will be no closing sale as stock will be transferred to another store.”
Another customer said: “Another empty business plot.
“Hinckley town center has absolutely nothing to offer.
“Gone are the days when you could come to town and find everything you needed. It's like a bottlenose dolphin town.'
And a third wrote: “It's a shame all the old shops are closing.”
The Sun has contacted Clinton for comment.
Clintons is one of several retailers hit by low footfall on the high street and competition from online rivals.
In August 2023, restructuring experts FRP Advisory and law firm Jones Day presented plans to rescue the company in an insolvency court.
The deal will help save thousands of jobs and more than a hundred stores in the UK, but still means dozens of branches will have to close their doors for good.
They came up with a deal to save thousands of jobs and more than a hundred British stores.
This led to the closure of stores in Cumbria, Bolton and Leeds last year.
More recently, Clintons closed its branch in Haverhill, Suffolk, last month.
This involved saying goodbye to a selection of stores that did not earn enough money to keep them profitable.
Clintons originally planned to merge with another struggling stationary brand Paperchase.
Unfortunately, the company went bankrupt early last year.
At its peak, Clinton's had 2,500 employees in 335 stores.
More main street closures
Retailers have been feeling the pressure since the pandemic, as shoppers cut back on spending due to the rising cost of living.
High energy costs and the move to online shopping after the pandemic are also taking their toll, with many high street stores struggling to continue.
The high street has seen a slew of closures in the past year and more are in the pipeline.
Several major brands have also collapsed, such as Wilko and Paperchase.
Many retailers are struggling to make ends meet, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Energy costs have risen and more consumers than ever are choosing to order online instead of going to the store.
This leaves some retailers struggling with budgets and having no choice but to close stores to cut costs.
British retailers saw the amount of goods sold fall last month, at the fastest pace in three years, as under-pressure households moved some of their Christmas shopping to earlier this year.
Sales volumes fell 3.2% in December, Office for National Statistics data showed, compared with a 1.4% increase a month earlier.
Several major chains are pulling down the shutters for the last time this month.
Lidl is pulling down the shutters on its site in Thornaby.
The bargain retailer has confirmed that its Stockton-on-Tees locations will close on February 29.
Boots revealed it would close 300 stores over the next year as part of plans to develop its brand.
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