Regional Birthdays staff face axe
Around 2,100 jobs are at risk after the Birthdays greetings card business was put in administration.
Clinton Cards is owner of the 332-store chain, which has branches across the Black Country and Staffordshire.
It has taken the difficult decision that it could "no longer continue to provide funding to its loss-making subsidiary."
The deterioration in the economy had added to Birthdays' already struggling business and Clinton's revealed 50 per cent of all the brand's stores were now loss making.
Administrators will "explore all options available to secure the future of the Birthdays' business" and it will continue to trade as normal.
Clinton Cards stores, which employ around 6,200 staff in 692 shops, are unaffected by the move and will also continue to trade as normal.
Group chairman Don Lewin said: "Everyone at Birthdays has worked tirelessly to try to turn the business around.
"I would like to thank everybody for their hard work and dedication over the past five years."
But he added Clinton's could not sustain supporting Birthdays' losses of around £7 million a year.
