WHSmith closing 10 more UK stores beginning in March

WHSmith – which has around 500 UK stores – revealed last month that it was exploring “a possible sale” of its high street estate, as it focuses its attention on its travel locations.

WHSmith is closing 10 more UK stores over the next few weeks. WHSmith – which has around 500 UK stores – revealed last month that it was exploring “a possible sale” of its high street estate, as it focuses its attention on its travel locations.

The next store to close will be the Accrington, Lancashire branch, which will shut for the final time on March 15. Then, six shops – including in Halstead, Halesowen, Diss, Newport, Woolwich and Haverhill – will close in April.

It will be followed by two more branches in May. The 232-year-old chain is in talks with a handful of potential bidders, having kicked off the prospective sale process at the end of last year.

While negotiations are focused on its 500 shops – which sell newspapers, books, stationery, cards and gifts – it is understood that the use of the brand itself will be up for negotiation with any prospective buyer.

Commenting on the prospective sale, Kien Tan, a senior retail adviser at PwC said: “The same formula that works in travel stores is no longer sufficient on high streets, where many of its products are available at other retailers or online.

“That doesn’t mean that the high street stores don’t have a future, but they probably will look very different – different products, perhaps incorporating hospitality or other services to give people a reason to visit. That doesn’t mean that WH Smith needs to disappear, but it might have a different brand name above the door to reflect the different customer proposition.”