GREETINGS cards chain Clintons is being put up for sale by its owners, with accountancy giant KPMG drafted in to find potential buyers.
The Weiss family, which took control of Clintons seven years ago, is understood to be looking for an exit with a possible auction taking place.
Clintons - previously known as Clinton Cards until it went bust in 2012 - has 334 stores with around 2,500 employees
The decision to sell comes after the company's most recent set of accounts said the chain expects to be profitable by next year.
Sources close to Clintons' advisers said the process was under way. KPMG declined to comment.
The distributor behind Peppa Pig, Doctor Who and Fireman Sam toys has said profits will be lower than expected this year due to the weak pound and the collapse of its largest Scandinavian customer.
The Character Group warned profits will now be between £11 million and £11.5m for the year to August 31 - slightly below expectations.
Bosses explained that a significant proportion of purchases for toys it sells in the UK are made in US dollars - meaning recent falls to 34-year lows in the pound versus the currency have hit profit margins.
The company said: "The continued uncertainty over Brexit has led to a weakening of sterling in foreign exchange markets, particularly against the US dollar, and this has been a factor for Character's domestic business."
It added: "The most significant factor has been the failure of the retail market in Scandinavia to fully absorb the sales vacuum caused by the liquidation in January this year of Top Toy."
There was some better news as the business revealed it had secured a six-month extension to its licence with Peppa Pig owner Entertainment One to keep selling Peppa and her friends until June 2021.
But rival toy brand, Hasbro, recently announced plans to buy Entertainment One, meaning the future for Character Group's relationship with Peppa Pig could suffer.
Investors were less enthusiastic on Friday morning, with shares falling 5% in early trading. Shares later rallied, and closed down 2.7%, or 10p, at 360p.
EasyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou has claimed victory in a legal battle with China's national airline over the use of the word "easy" in its advertising.
Air China launched a Beijing-Frankfurt service in May 2017, described as the "Easy Way" to visit Europe for millions of Chinese tourists.
But Sir Stelios took issue with its use, claiming it was a breach of copyright for his EasyGroup of brands.
His company said: "Following a brief exchange of solicitors' letters, Air China has agreed to stop use of the wording."
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