WH Smith sells Funky Pigeon brand for £24m in travel pivot July 29, 2025 WH Smith has sold its Funky Pigeon brand to Card Factory, as the retailer sheds legacy assets ahead of a pivot towards becoming a pared down travel retailer. The Bristol and Guernsey-based novelty greeting cards line was sold for £24m, with Card Factory looking to integrate its technology into its consumer business. Funky Pigeon’s sale [...]
WH Smith knocks down price of high street stores to close sale June 30, 2025 WH Smith has been forced to reduce its offer price for its high street arm by £ 12m amid lower-than-expected cash flow in the period leading up to the sale. The move will see WH Smith become a pure-play travel retailer, and its high street arm will be rebranded to TG Jones. The Swindon-headquartered company [...]
WH Smith nears sale of high street chain as revenue rises June 4, 2025 WH Smith has confirmed it remains on track to sell its high street division to the owner of Hobbycraft by the end of the month. In March, the FTSE 250 company announced it had agreed to offload the arm to private equity firm Modella in a deal which valued it at £76m. When complete, the [...]
WH Smith shareholders eye growth plans after sale of high street stores April 13, 2025 Investors in WH Smith will be keen for more details on its strategy after agreeing to sell its UK high street stores and the potential impact of US tariffs when the retail firm updates the market next week. It has been a busy start to 2025 for the historic retailer as it has pivoted to [...]
WH Smith’s decline: A cautionary tale of bad branding March 31, 2025 As WH Smith disappears from the high street, Will Bosanko looks at why the brand failed, and asks whether there is a future for TG Jones.
WH Smith agrees sale of UK high street chain to Modella March 28, 2025 WH Smith has agreed to sell its 233-year-old UK high street business to Modella Capital for around £76m. Modella Capita, which owns Hobbycraft, pipped a number of bidders to the prize including Alteri Investors, the owner of Bensons for Beds. The deal will transfer WH Smith’s 500 stores to the investor, with the high street [...]
The Capitalist: Pedicabs, WH Smith and HMRC hang-ups January 30, 2025 Pedicab politics, the demise of WH Smith and taxman ghostings: catch up on the latest gossip in this week's edition of The Capitalist.
Will the public miss WH Smith if it disappears from the UK high street? January 30, 2025 YouGov’s chief executive Steve Hatch takes a closer look at the data behind the biggest stories in business. Here, he looks at the future of WH Smith. News broke last week that WH Smith was looking to sell its UK high street stores. The company told the London Stock Exchange that it intended to become [...]
Mark Kleinman: Are Barclays pay rows a mere historical relic? January 30, 2025 Mark Kleinman is Sky News’ City Editor and the man who gets the Square Mile talking in his weekly City AM column. This week, he tackles pay rows at Barclays, how WH Smith is clinging on and a floating debate for Monzo Are Barclays pay rows a mere historical relic? There was a time when Barclays and public [...]
WH Smith: Travel drives growth ahead of possible high street exit January 29, 2025 Revenue at WH Smith rose four per cent in the first half of the financial year, driven by growth in its travel stores as it prepares to exit the high street. Total travel revenue rose six per cent like for like in the 21 weeks to January 25, while high street revenue dipped three per [...]