THE card chain Clintons has told landlords that it needs to close 66 shops and cut the rent on hundreds more, it is reported.

The retailer – which closed its central Bournemouth branch in September – wants the rent for 206 shops to be linked to each store’s performance, the Sunday Times has reported.

Clintons is laying the groundwork for a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) with creditors and its owners could put the business into administration if landlords do not support the plan, the paper claimed.

The development comes days after Mothercare collapsed into administration, with all stores set to close.

Clinton’s is expected to decide on Monday, November 18, whether to go ahead with its planned CVA.

Clinton’s has stores at Castlepoint and Poole’s Dolphin Centre. Its Bournemouth branch in Old Christchurch Road closed in September after the landlord serviced notice. The retailer had denied more than once that it was planning to close.