High street card shop with over 60 locations launches another ‘everything must go’ closing down sale

A MAJOR card retailer with over 60 locations is shutting another one of its stores in a blow for shoppers.

"Store closing down" and "everything must go" signs have been spotted in the windows of the Reigate Cardzone branch.

Shoppers are also being offered up to 20% discounts on products.

A spokesperson for Cardzone told The Sun the store will close in early 2024 but did not reveal an exact date.

It comes after two other Cardzone stores shut their doors for good this year, with closing down sale signs spotted in windows, according to local news reports.

The retailer, which has stores across the UK, has shut branches in Kirkby in Ashfield and Beeston, both in Nottinghamshire.

Store closing down signs were seen at another Cardzone branch in Nottingham city centre in July but it is not clear if this store has yet closed.

It comes after a number of other high street card retailers have closed branches this year.

In January, Paperchase fell into administration putting its 106 stores at risk of closure.

Two months later, it had already started shutting dozens of branches.

However, the beloved stationery brand relaunched in shop in October after opening 250 concession stores in Tesco supermarkets.

In August, Clintons announced it would close 38 shops as part of a fresh bid to avoid collapse.

Restructuring experts were brought in to help the retailer make a return to profitability by cutting loss-making stores from its portfolio.

It came after the firm's future was cast into doubt when in 2019 it announced it needed to close 66 of its sites to avoid collapse.

In December that year it entered into a "pre-pack administration" and its shops, staff and website were sold to a new company called Esquire Retail Limited.

But the move involved hundreds of job losses and store closures.

Which other retailers are closing?

It's not just card retailers which have been struggling in recent years.

The high street has been hit hard as people turn to online retail and away from physical sites.

High inflation from last year has meant households' budgets haven't stretched as far either.

It has seen some retailers, including Paperchase and Wilko go bust completely.

Others have been forced to close stores to ensure they stay profitable.

In June, Boots Pharmacy announced it would massively consolidate its portfolio of 2,200 stores to 1,900.

It said it would only close branches in areas where there was another one nearby to lessen the impact on customers.

Meanwhile, House of Fraser has closed three stores this year, including in Cardiff, Guildford and Birmingham.

It also plans to close its branch in Lakeside Shopping Centre, Essex, in January next year.

But, like with Paperchase, it's not all bad news for retailers as some are expanding their presence across the UK.

Wilko has relaunched online and some of its physical branches have reopened to the public since it collapsed into administration.

And in September, B&M snapped up 51 former Wilko stores as part of expansion plans.

Plus, in August, Greggs said it would open eight more branches over the following two months.

In February, Poundstretcher announced plans to open 50 new stores by the end of 2023.