NEARLY 3,000 jobs will be lost after the administrators of Clinton Cards announced 350 stores face closure. About 200 Clintons branded stores and all Birthdays stores will close with the loss 2,800 full and part-time jobs. The closures will commence immediatly and continue into June 2012.

Multibrands International is launching a new e-commerce site which will allow consumers to buy products directly from the company, as well as from retailers. Multibrands retail partners include Tesco and Homebase. Multibrands will develop mobile phone apps later in 2012.

Clinton Cards has failed to find a buyer for all or parts of the business. The company went into administration after it was forced to repay £35 million of loans. The group, which operates 628 Clintons and 139 Birthdays stores, has made losses of £130 million since 2004. Administrators at Zolfo Cooper will continue to trade the business as a going concern.

Independent mobile phone retailer Carphone Warehouse is to expand overseas as a result of decreasing demand in the UK where sales have fallen and sales of pay-as-you-go packages have dropped between 30 per cent and 40 per cent. The group will open in China in Summer 2012 with outlets in 14 stores operated by US retailer Best Buy. The company is also looking at similar moves in Latin America and Eastern Europe.