In 1986 the Birthdays concept was launched, and the product range gradually diversified to include novelties, soft toys and ornaments.

In 2002, Clinton Cards approached Birthdays with a buyout offer reportedly worth roughly £100 million.

In September 2003, investors instead sold the company to Scottish entrepreneur Tom Hunter in partnership with Chris Gorman, owner of the Gadget Shop chain of retail novelty stores, for an estimated £60 million, and began making plans to cross-market Birthdays' and Gadget Shops' product ranges in each other's stores.

Hunter and Gorman soon discovered that Birthdays required a larger injection of capital investment than either was willing or able to provide.

In November 2004, it was announced Birthdays had again been sold, this time to Clinton Cards who had originally approached the company 2 years prior, for a total of just £50 million, to become a wholly owned subsidiary of Clinton Cards plc.