The prominent retailer said it is still on track to meet revised pre-tax profit expectations of between £55m to £60m.
A Card Factory store(Image: Handout)
Poor high street footfall at Christmas has impact Card Factory, which says the outlook for UK retail is uncertain.
The greetings card and gift seller said total store sales were down 0.8% across November and December, with like-for-like store revenue down 1.2%. Despite the challenges, total group revenue was up 4.3%, compared with the same period the previous year.
Meanwhile, total group revenue in the 11 months to the end of December was up 7.3% year-on-year to more than £541m. Card Factory said that was down to contributions from its acquired businesses in the US and Republic of Ireland, and including Funky Pigeon which it bought in a £25m deal last year.
Darcy Willson-Rymer, chief executive officer, said: “We are on track to deliver profits in line with our revised guidance announced on December 12 2025. During the second half of the year and particularly the important Christmas period, trading in our UK stores reflected the challenging consumer backdrop which contributed to soft high street footfall.
“Across the group, we are encouraged by the performance of our international businesses and that the integration of Funky Pigeon remains on track. While the outlook for the UK high street remains uncertain, we continue to focus on our value-led proposition to help our customers celebrate all life’s moments.
“In addition, we continue to successfully drive efficiencies and manage costs through our ‘Simplify and Scale’ programme. The board remains confident in the group’s prospects and continued momentum of our growth strategy.”
Card Factory said that throughout the eleven months it had expanded its partnerships business and sped up its digital strategy with the acquisition of Funky Pigeon. It said its “simplify and scale” programme had largely combatted persistent cost inflation.
The disappointing Christmas trading at the Wakefield-based chain was shared by a number of UK retailers with research showing rising bills and food costs put people off shopping. Total UK footfall was down 2.9% during December, year on year, according to data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Sensormatic.
Visits to the high street were down by 0.9%, but retail park footfall fell 2.5% and shopping centres suffered particularly badly with 5.1% fewer Christmas customers on the year before. Overall, total UK footfall over the year was down 0.8% compared with 2024, while “Golden Quarter” visitors over the three months to December fell by 2.2%.
BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: “It was a disappointing December for retailers as footfall declined across all shopping locations, as well as in the major cities. In the face of rising bills and food costs, many consumers held off for post-Christmas sales, with the week after Christmas the only one to see a significant uplift.
“Shoppers were also browsing less in the lead up to Christmas, making fewer, but more targeted shopping trips, particularly in shopping centres, which saw the largest drop in footfall. Last month’s figures capped a challenging year, with total shopper traffic down in 2025. This marks the third consecutive year of annual footfall decline, reflecting the continuing evolution in shopping habits and the retail landscape.”
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