SHARES in personalised gift and party supply business Card Factory closed up 8.75 per cent yesterday, as the firm resumed its dividend payout and reported a rise in revenue.

For the year ended January the publicly listed company said profit before tax was up 25 per cent to £65m.

The Wakefield-based business was also bolstered by the opening of 26 new stores, taking its total to over 1000 stores across the UK and Ireland.

Card Factory is targeting a similar number of openings this year.

It also rollout a new click and collect feature, with "7.8 per cent of all online orders to be collected in store as it builds its omnichannel proposition".

Darcy Willson-Rymer, chief executive officer, at Card Factory, said: "I am delighted with the progress we have made through the year which would not have been achieved without the commitment and efforts of our colleagues.

"Now, three years into our 'Opening our New Future Strategy', Card Factory is financially and operationally a much stronger business. This means that we are able to both reinstate the dividend and invest in the future, while effectively navigating the ongoing economic environment."

(c) 2024 City A.M., source Newspaper