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RNS Number : 6582W Card Factory PLC 29 September 2026 29 September 2026 Card Factory plc ( " cardfactory " or the " Group " ) Interim results for the six months ended 31 July 2026 Revenue growth and positive free cash generation , with strong Golden Quarter plans supporting delivery of full - year expectations cardfactory , the UK's leading specialist retailer of greeting cards , gifts and celebration essentials , announces its interim results for the six months ended 31 July 2026 ( ' HY27 ' ) . Financial Metrics¹ Revenue Adjusted EBITDA HY27 HY26 Change FY26 £ 260.8m £ 247.6m + 5.3 % £ 582.7m £ 45.1m £ 44.2m + 2.0 % £ 123.6m Adjusted PBT £ 12.7m £ 13.2m ( 3.8 % ) £ 56.0m Adjusted EPS 2.9p 2.8p + 1.6 % 11.8p Dividend per share 1.4p 1.3p + 7.7 % 5.0p Net Debt ( exc . leases ) £ 87.4m £ 78.9m + £ 8.5m £ 67.9m Adjusted Leverage ( exc . leases ) 1.1x 1.0x + 0.1x 1.0x Adjusted Free Cash Flow £ 0.8m ( £ 6.3m ) + £ 7.1m £ 40.7m EBITDA £ 46.2m £ 39.1m + 18.2 % £ 116.8m Profit Before Tax £ 12.3m £ 7.5m + 63.4 % £ 43.9m Basic EPS Cash from operations 2.7p £ 42.0m 1.6p + 63.5 % £ 30.5m + 37.7 % 9.0p £ 122.3m 1 For further information and definitions of Like - for - like ( LFL ) and other alternative performance measures , see " Alternative Performance Measures " ( APMS ) in the appendix . 2 Adjusted measures exclude the effect of transactions ( and , where applicable , any associated tax and / or cash effect ) that , in the opinion of the Directors , are either one - off in nature and / or are unreflective of the underlying trading performance of the Group in the period . A full description of the transactions and events excluded from Adjusted results for this purpose is provided in the appendix . Darcy Willson - Rymer , Chief Executive Officer , commented : " We made further progress in the first half towards building a broader , more diversified celebrations business . Despite continued pressure on the UK consumer , Group revenue increased and profitability remained broadly flat , with improved store profitability and disciplined working capital management delivering strong Free Cash Flow . " We remain focused on strengthening our store estate and increasing our share of the celebrations market . During the first half , we continued to optimise our stores and space , strengthened our value proposition and rolled out our new party range . In addition , the ongoing development of our partnerships and international businesses are broadening our reach and creating further opportunities for growth , and the integration of Funky Pigeon and delivery of the expected synergies remain on track . " " We are confident of delivering full - year expectations with strong Golden Quarter plans in place , supported by significant product newness and a further strengthening of our great value offer . " Financial summary Group revenue increased 5.3 % to £ 260.8 million , compared to HY26 , reflecting the contribution from Funky Pigeon following its acquisition in August 2025 and continued growth in wholesale sales . Adjusted PBT of £ 12.7 million , compared with £ 13.2 million in HY26 , with Group profitability broadly flat as improved store profitability was balanced by investment in digital and the international businesses to support future growth . Improvement in store profitability was delivered through higher profit margins and benefits of our ' Simplify & Scale ' efficiency and productivity programme Positive Adjusted Free Cash Flow of £ 0.8 million in H1 , which has historically generated negative free cash flow . This is an improvement of £ 7.1 million year - on - year , reflected continued disciplined management of working capital . Total store sales declined 0.7 % , reflecting continued pressure on UK consumer sentiment which has impacted footfall and Like - for - like ( LFL ) 1 stores sales , which were down -2.0 % . Despite the challenging backdrop , improved store execution , particularly through spring sale and range change activity , resulted in higher product margins and improved store profitability through the period . Republic of Ireland stores continued to perform strongly , with total store sales up 24.3 % and Like - for - like sales up 5.6 % . Wholesale sales increased 13.6 % , with good performance from our partnerships with The Reject Shop and Aldi , as well as Garlanna in the Republic of Ireland , alongside further progress in developing a scalable international wholesale model . Digital sales increased by £ 12.8 million , reflecting the acquisition of Funky Pigeon ; integration and delivery of the expected £ 5 million synergies , from FY28 , remain on track .