STATIONERY chain Clinton Cards in The Borough will cease trading on Saturday, September 2, due to the increase in business rates.

The chain has not only been struggling within Farnham but nationwide, as multiple shops face closure. It is hoped all the staff at the current store will be relocated to other branches.

A spokesperson for Clintons said that if they see a decrease in profits then they have to decide whether or not the store is still viable:

“We will be offering ideas where to go and will be talking to our staff. We hope to limit the number of redundancies.

“Our customers can go to our Aldershot store or go online, where there is more choice and variety, they might find it is better than the Farnham shop.”

The Clintons site, situated at numbers 18/19 in The Borough, was previously home to The Card Department, and long before that writer George Sturt, who grew up in Farnham.