Blunt message left in Exmouth for Clinton Cards' bosses as six made redundant
A BLUNT MESSAGE has been left for Clinton Cards' bosses in Exmouth. The Magnolia Centre branch – which closed last week after 17 years of trading in the town, making six full-time staff members redundant – has two notices on its shop window…
Alongside an official notice from the staff – explaining that the company "has made a decision to close this branch on Saturday Feb 18th" and thanking its "loyal customers" – an irreverent farewell card with a two-fingered gesture has been added.
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The message on the Clinton Cards' window in Exmouth's Magnolia Centre
According to a former employee at the branch – who did not wish to be named – staff are angry because they claim they were given little warning of the shop's closure and the redundancies. And the first they knew of any problems was when workmen arrived, in the run-up to Christmas, to measure up the shop for a new business to move in.
Clintons – who have confirmed the redundancies, saying that the store closure was due to "high occupancy costs" – have described the two-fingered gesture card as "unfortunate" and have apologized for "any ill feeling".
"We are sorry that we have had to take the difficult decision to close our Exmouth branch," says a Clinton Cards spokeperson. "Unfortunately this has meant that six of our staff were made redundant. I am afraid that the decision to close the store was due to its 'high occupancy' costs, which meant that we simply were not able to sustain it profitably."
When asked about the two-fingered gesture card, the spokesperson replied: "Yes, that's unfortunate, isn't it? I'm sorry if there's any ill feeling, but thank you for letting us know on that front. We don't have anything specific to say about that."
Steel doors
The first sign that all was not well at the Clinton Cards' Exmouth branch came shortly before Christmas when workmen arrived – apparently without warning – at the Magnolia Centre unit to measure up the premises. Shop staff thought this was odd, particularly as they were only halfway through the current lease on the premises. Their concerns were heightened when it was discovered that steel doors were to be fitted to the rear of their shop, ahead of a new tenant – believed to be a mobile phone business – taking over the unit.
It's understood that staff were first told about the Exmouth branch closure just before Christmas Eve, but this has yet to be confirmed by Clintons. The shop closed on 18 February, although Clintons say that it will officially cease trading on 24 February.
Troubled retailer
The Exmouth branch closure – and staff discontent – is part of a far greater problem for Clinton Cards. In July 2011 the Financial Times described the firm as the "troubled greetings card retailer", saying that property landlords were becoming concerned that the company was preparing to restructure its 800 UK branches amid efforts to refinance its £55m credit facility. It's understood that card sales have slumped as people use e-cards and Facebook as an alternative means of saying happy birthday.
To counteract this, Clintons staff have been encouraged by their bosses to "upsale" to customers, suggesting that they purchase extra items, such as bags, pens and toy bears, as well as greetings cards at the cash tills. This technique has recently been exposed on Mary Portas's Secret Shopper website, along with numerous comments from disgruntled ex-employees.
"I worked for Clintons for a short time before our shop was closed ONE WEEK before Christmas," says one ex-employee at an un-named branch on the Secret Shopper website. "It was ridiculous and we only had three week's notice to get the shop emptied. And I agree that we were forced to push upsells on people, which felt very rude when these were regular customers, in a small town. Shocked and appalled at the way management deal with their employees normally, let alone when they're making us redundant."
9 Comments
by thefunkyfairy
Wednesday, February 29 2012, 10:19PM
“Hi there
If you work in retail and are facing difficulties please get advice and help from The Retail Trust, they can be found at http://tinyurl.com/b3dbdp”
by Gabbyc
Wednesday, February 29 2012, 8:06PM
“I suspect the store in Crowborough is closing. They want to exit stores where there are other stores nearby in this case Tunbridge Wells is very near.
Costa would not have put in a planning application unless a deal is agreed.
I do agree that it is a terrible way to treat staff whether they are shop staff or any staff. To find out you are being made redundant with hardly any notice and then to be expected to carry on like no problem knowing you will lose your job isn't very nice. Ps I do love the card. Good for the Exmouth girls. It made me laugh.
Very very sad. I know Frasier Breeth act for Clintons in sales and disposals and there are a couple up for sale, Weymouth and Wrexham spring to mind.
Lewisham is for sale through Jones Lang La Salle (retail) another good source is shopproperty.co.uk a great way to find out if you are about to lose your job in retail and don't know about it.”
by lad_the
Wednesday, February 29 2012, 6:58PM
“Hello again (please see Comment 2, below) and Thank You for your info and comments
to Insider2012 re Colchester, lilacbabe re Exmouth, Gabbyc re Deal & others.
you may be interested in the following:
How Clinton Cards can get away with this is criminal. They have left all of the discarded staff with no redundancy pay out - not even paid any notice pay and taken the business for a stupidly small amount of cash - disgusting.
Some interesting pay cheques for the team leading this - Don Lewin £1m, Clinton Lewin £428K, Stuart Houlston £183k, Barry Hartog £264k - you should all be ashamed of yourselves – I challenge you to look your teams in the face and tell them how you earned your salary through this del boy deal and how they are safe in your hands!
- Andrew, Chester, 25/06/2009 12:35 Evening Standard re Birthdays fiasco
Please, anyone with info, including Insider, lilacbabe and Gabbyc, please email me lad_the@yahoo.co.uk.
Any update on Crowborough, kent?
This sort of publicity may, just possibly, persuade them to treat their unfortunate staff with a little more respect. Thank You!”
by Gabbyc
Tuesday, February 28 2012, 8:02PM
“Ps the branch in Deal Kent closes March 17th 2012. The store isn't being renewed in terms of the lease which is due for expiry despite the store meeting targets and trading profitably. The other year they sold the branch that was Woolwich to become part of Poundland.
I know that the Lewisham branch is for sale and a few others
I think many more will close in the years ahead simply because Clintons entered in to top whack rents and sales are falling because people prefer to shop at Card Factory or go online or shop at more premium stores.
I am sure this won't be the last of the closures. The lady at the Deal store currently closing after 24 years and previously a Paper Tree store which Clintons took over told me that 2 Northern Stores are closing and one London branch hope this helps”
by lilacbabe
Thursday, February 23 2012, 8:26PM
“I am one of the 6 staff made redundant at the Exmouth Clintons. I`d like to point out that we found out that the shop would be closing on January 23rd - less than 4 weeks before the last day of trading. We only found out then because, as your article stated, BT turned up to put phone lines in for Phones 4 You.”
by insider2012
Thursday, February 23 2012, 7:45PM
“Well done the Magnolia Centre branch, I wish I had thought of that!
The Colchester's (store 452) last day of trading was 24th Dec 2011.
We found out about our store closing from an article in the Colchester local paper and planning applications made to the local council from Schuh (the shoe retailer) who were taking over the unit. This was in the middle of November and when we confronted Head Office/regional manager they said no this is not true and not to worry about it.
We were officially told that the store was closing less than 2 weeks before Christmas but were told that all 10 permanent staff would be found other roles or transferred to the other Colchester store. However this was not the case and all the staff were made redundant.
What made us angry was the way Clinton's head office treated us and the way we found out. It is no wonder the company is in such financial difficulty and will surely go into administration within the next year.”
by lad_the
Thursday, February 23 2012, 6:13PM
“Can you add to my List of Clintons' Closures, please?
Minehead October 2011
Colchester 24 December 2011 (Christmas Eve? surely not?)
Bridport December 2011
Gosport January 2012
Exmouth 18 February 2012
If you have any additions/amendments/comments please send to lad_the@yahoo.co.uk.
I'd also like to hear from anyone who is/has been involved in Employment Tribunal proceedings with this dreadful company.
Thanks (hopefully). John.”
by MrMeMeMe
Wednesday, February 22 2012, 10:11PM
“Two fingers is a bit classier than just the one !”
by omnivore23
Wednesday, February 22 2012, 5:25PM
“Excellent!”