December 6th 2024.
It's a sad day for British high streets as WHSmith, a beloved classic, announces the closure of multiple shops before the year ends. So far, branches in Scotland, Kent, and Manchester have already shut down, with more expected to follow suit. This comes after the stationery store revealed plans to open 110 new branches this year, but mainly in airports, train stations, and hospitals where profits are higher compared to their traditional high street stores. In addition, WHSmith has made the decision to bring back vinyl records to their shelves after a hiatus of thirty years, in response to the growing trend among shoppers.
To add to the revamp, WHSmith has also announced that they will be stocking Toys R Us products in 76 of their stores by the end of the year, a popular toy shop that disappeared from the nation almost a decade ago. For those wondering, here is a list of the stores that have already closed this year:
- Alfreton, Derbyshire – January 2024
- Ramsgate, Kent – January 2024
- Oban, Argyll and Bute, Scotland – February 2024
- Nantwich, South Cheshire – February 2024
- Margate, Kent – April 20, 2024
- Sale, Manchester – September 2024
These closures are spread out across Britain, and it's a sad reality for the affected communities. But what about the stores that are closing in the future? Well, it has been announced that the Basingstoke branch will be shutting down in early 2025. This particular store, located inside The Malls shopping centre, has been a staple for over 50 years, as reported by the Basingstoke Gazette. The store is currently holding sales in the upcoming weeks before its closure on February 1 next year. According to the local paper, customers can enjoy discounts of up to 30% on selected items.
On a brighter note, WHSmith is also opening new stores in different locations, moving away from the traditional high street and focusing more on travel hubs such as train stations and airports. According to their company accounts, sales in the travel sector have increased by 15% compared to a 3% decline in their high street portfolio. Overall, the company has seen an 8% increase in revenue over the past 20 weeks, a positive sign for their expansion plans. It seems that for WHSmith, it makes more sense to open stores in travel hubs as they generate more profit compared to high street stores.
In fact, the company has pledged to open 15 new stores in 2024, with an additional 15 each year over the next few years. During an interview with the BBC, CEO Carl Cowling shared that WHSmith has already invested over £100 million in opening new stores in airports, and they have set their sights on capturing 20% of the airport retail market in the US and Europe in the next four years. Kate Hardcastle, chief executive of retail insights agency Insight with Passion, believes that airports and service stations are a "golden opportunity" for WHSmith, especially since they have been struggling on the high street. She also adds that with the rise of technology, people are more likely to forget essentials while traveling, making it a great opportunity for retailers like WHSmith.
Speaking of new stores, music fans will be delighted to know that they can now purchase vinyl records in over 80 WHSmith stores across the country. The newsagent had stopped selling vinyls over thirty years ago due to a decline in demand, but since 2006, sales have been on the rise as some people turned to vintage ways of listening to music and others switched from CDs to digital platforms. In fact, vinyl sales have been growing for the past 16 years, with over six million sold last year alone. Emma Smyth, commercial director of WHSmith, expressed their excitement in bringing back vinyl records to their stores, stating that many customers probably have fond memories of browsing through record shops and admiring the album covers.
For those wondering where they can buy vinyl records from WHSmith, here is a full list of locations:
- Berkhampstead
- Bromley
- Canterbury
- Chester
- Crawley
- East Kilbride
- Epsom
- Exeter
- Gloucester
- Gyle
- Henley
- High Wycombe
- Kingston
- Lichfield
- Marlborough
- Monks Cross
- Preston Deepdale
- Romford
- Salisbury
- Watford
- White City
- York
- Jersey
- Perth
- Stafford
- Weston-super-Mare
- Northallerton
- Douglas
- Scarborough
- Buxton
- Argyle Street
- Beeston
- Brecon
- Brent Cross
- Broughton Parc
- Bury St Edmunds
- Carlisle
- Cirencester
- Cribbs Causeway
- Darlington
- Bluewater Park
- Deal
- Dumfries
- Elgin
- Ely
- Exmouth
- Grantham
- Great Yarmouth
- Hamilton
- Harpenden
- Haslemere
- Hastings
- Havant
- Haywards Heath
- Hempstead Valley
- Hereford
- Honiton
- Leighton Buzzard
- Lewisham
- Liverpool
- Llanelli
- Marlow
- Monmouth
- Morpeth
- Newport
- Petersfield
- Sevenoaks
- Meadowhall
- Southport
- Southsea
- Swanage
- Taunton
- Teesside Retail Park
- Temple Fortune
- Twickenham
- Uckfield
- Wallington
- Warrington
- Wimbledon
- Witney
So if you're in any of these areas and looking to add to your vinyl collection, you know where to go!
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[Generative AI is experimental.]
