Will we mourn the loss of WH Smith from the high street? September 29, 2025 So long then, WH Smith, a firm which has graced our high streets for more than a century – even though it never intended to. Founded as a small newspaper kiosk in Mayfair in 1792, the business grew massively in the mid-19th century, spurred by the rapid expansion of the railways, which allowed consumers up [...]
WH Smith shares tumble after retailer admits accounting blunder August 21, 2025 Shares in WH Smith tumbled on Thursday after the newsagent and travel retailer admitted to an accounting blunder that has wiped tens of millions of pounds from its profits. The FTSE 250 firm said a “financial review” identified an overstatement of around £30m of expected headline trading profit in its North America division that was [...]
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 [...]