Shares in Clinton Cards rose nearly 10 per cent this morning after the group announced an improvement in like-for-like sales for the five weeks to 1 January 2012. 

The card retailer's shares were trading at 12p at 9.30am, a 1p rise as investors reacted with cautious optimism to the news.

The group, which operates 630 Clintons stores and 141 Birthdays UK outlets, is the latest struggling retailer to be boosted by a strong Christmas, with like-for-like sales up 0.4 per cent on last year.

A 0.8 per cent improvement in like-for-like sales at Clintons was offset by a deteriorating performance at Birthdays, where like-for-like sales were down 2.7 per cent.

The group's overall sales for the 22 weeks to 1 January this year remained down by 1.4 per cent on the same period in 2010.

Clinton Cards announced a strategic review of the business in October 2011, when Darcy Wilson-Rymer joined the group as CEO.

It said that the review, which will scrutinise customer experience, the store portfolio, business efficiency and the group's digital offering, will be completed in the second quarter of this year.

The group said its results were in line with expectations despite a 'tough retail climate', but added that there was 'clearly more work to be done'.