DOZENS of redundancies have been announced at the Loughton headquarters of Clinton Cards, after the troubled retail giant went into administration.
The company is believed to employ up to 300 people at its headquarters in Langston Road, and 66 have been told they are going.
But the company’s stores in Epping Forest are not among those facing immediate closure.
Administrators Zolfo Cooper have identified 44 stores around the country belonging to Clinton, and its subsidiary Birthday, which will close by the end of the month.
Chairman Don Lewin, who founded the company in 1966, said that he expected that around 300 of the companies 800 stores would eventually have to be sold.
Calls to the company's HQ were being referred to the administrators and when the Guardian called at Mr Lewin's home in Chigwell High Road, he refused to come to the gate.
Through the intercom, he said: “It’s sad.
“You know the situation – I’m here.
“You should go to the office and speak to the ones who caused this.”
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