Clinton Cards will continue to cut costs and reduce stock in 2010, in spite of signs of recovering demand in the first weeks of its new financial year.

The UK’s biggest specialist greetings card retailer said like-for-like sales rose 2.9 per cent in the 10 weeks to October 11. The shares jumped 7¼p to 42¼p on the back of the improved figure, which contrasted with a 3.4 per cent drop for the year to August 2.