Cardfactory, retailer of greeting cards, gifts and celebration essentials, has announced its interim results for the six months ended July 31 2025 (HY26)
It reports ‘resilient revenue performance with continued strategic progress. Full year expectations unchanged’.
Highlights include:
- Group revenue of £247.6 million in HY26 +5.9% reflects positive performance in core stores business and continued execution of strategy.
- LFL store revenue grew by +1.5% against a backdrop of softer summer high street footfall due to the hot weather.
- Continued to expand profitable store estate with +30 net new stores YoY, of which 13 were opened in HY26 – surpassing 1,100 store milestone.
- Adjusted profit before tax (PBT) down in HY26 due to timing of efficiency-focused investments including upgrade to Point of Sale till system. PBT will follow a similar second-half weighting profile to FY25.
- Acquisition of Funky Pigeon post-period provides access to a large established customer base and a high-quality technology platform to accelerate digital growth. The report stated: ”The acquisition will accelerate our existing digital strategy, providing a platform for online growth, particularly in the direct-to-recipient card and attached gifting market. The Group expects the acquisition to be earnings enhancing in the financial year ended 31 January 2027, the first full year post-completion.’’
- Preparations are well advanced for peak festive trading period, with a strong, value-focused Christmas range. Alongside new premium card ranges, more than 80% of Christmas gift ranges and 95% of celebration essentials are new.
- FY26 expectations are unchanged, reflecting a resilient revenue performance, strong H2 trading plans, and the benefits of its Simplify and Scale programme.
Darcy Willson-Rymer, chief executive officer, commented: ”Our resilient first half performance against a challenging retail backdrop demonstrates the effective execution of our growth strategy and our ability to navigate inflationary pressures.
“Our core stores business performed positively during the period, supported by new store openings, while our ongoing range development resonated strongly with customers, driving successful Spring seasons. At the same time, we continued to advance our growth priorities, expanding partnerships and accelerating our digital strategy through the acquisition of Funky Pigeon.
“With the peak festive season ahead, we are well prepared for our most important trading period. Building on the success of our H1 seasonal performance, we have strong plans in place for H2 to deliver on our quality and value proposition including new Christmas ranges and a significantly expanded Halloween range. These plans, combined with our ongoing productivity and efficiency programme, mean our expectations for the full year remain unchanged.”
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