[News] WHSmith

[London Irish]

I always find it quite a karmic place to spend a few minutes browsing the dead trees products, I assume that dates me. Quite fun rifling through the latest music and sci fi mags and I always end up buying one on spec, and you can’t really recreate that experience online for all those moaning why this store still exists. I’ll be sad to see it go eventually

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

Always (many moons ago) used to buy books from WHS, then went on to Sussex Stationers / British Bookshops, as they had a larger choice and were cheaper and now Waterstones where more obscure stuff can be found. Use online sources for out of print books.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Always (many moons ago) used to buy books from WHS, then went on to Sussex Stationers / British Bookshops, as they had a larger choice and were cheaper and now Waterstones where more obscure stuff can be found. Use online sources for out of print books.

Seem to recall Sussex Stationers used to do really good book deals. Plus they had the best ever plastic carrier bags, they lasted forever

 

[P.C. Beard]

Good riddance, rip off merchants.

 

[Dinner with Gotsmanov]

Yeah they did. Bought my first album there, Aladdin Sane.

Is it a false memory or could you go into Smiffs in Churchill Square to play records and listen to them on headphones? Circa 1980 I’m thinking…

 

[Papak]

Timely thread this.

I bought a single pack of Trevor soft mints yesterday at London.victoria station and got charged £2 ... I just had a look and it should have been around 70p... How do they get away with this ? Back in the day most shops charged the same for sweets etc didn't they?

Anyway there was one assistant there who was on her phone, walked past, smiled and nodded, then went to the furthest aisle, I thought at the time she was just telling me to nick what I wanted.

.....and I wish I had now.

I think you answered your own question...

Personally, for me, even the Airport ones are a joke pricewise, I mostly travel short haul for work but it always amazes me how people can't go 1-2 hours without eating and drinking goodness knows how much overpriced stuff either bought in the terminal or onboard the plane.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I think you answered your own question...

Personally, for me, even the Airport ones are a joke pricewise, I mostly travel short haul for work but it always amazes me how people can't go 1-2 hours without eating and drinking goodness knows how much overpriced stuff either bought in the terminal or onboard the plane.

Quite amusing that WH Smith still sell newspapers airside when there's usually a decent rack of freebie newspapers and magazines tucked away en route to departure gates

 

[Bish Bosh]

Is it a false memory or could you go into Smiffs in Churchill Square to play records and listen to them on headphones? Circa 1980 I’m thinking…

Not sure but you could do that in Beals, East Street.

 

[Badger]

It's gone downhill since they stopped selling Amstrad CPC games.

 

[Ace Grace]

Agreed. My formative years involved going into Brighton on the Bus to Smiths, Boots and Lasky's to look at the Computer Games.

 

[Curryisgreat]

Seem to recall Sussex Stationers used to do really good book deals. Plus they had the best ever plastic carrier bags, they lasted forever

Makes me think of Doc Talbot clutching his Sussex Stationers bag at away games. Anyone know if he is still with us?

 

[Birdie Boy]

Best WHSmith ever is in Rome Airport. I was travelling back from the EL game and they were doing a meal deal which included cans of Heineken for the drinks! I thought it was dodgy so used the self service and it failed, Assistant came over and put it through, €8! 2 sandwiches, 2 crisps and 4 Heinekens to eat and drink on the plane!

 

[Westdene Seagull]

I find the decline of the high street really sad, as a customer and also having worked in retail for several years.

Used to enjoy browsing things of interest in Woolies, John Menzies, Boots, Smiths, etc, but the reality is many of the products they once sold are now available more easily and cheaply via Amazon and the wealth gets accumulated by fewer and fewer giant corporations, leaving the day to day basics or impulse buys which isn't sustainable.

Retail needs to be an essential service or a destination/experience and the likes of Smiths just isn't

Given your first sentence I have a question.

I hate going shopping - really can't stand traipsing between multiple stores to get what I want or the best deal. It's not a pleasure to me. On the very rare occasion I agree to go into town with Mrs WS for her to "have a look", I end up just going to the local pub and leaving her to it. I really don't understand why people get so hot under the collar about people like me using online shopping where I can browse multiple stores in minutes and not get wet and cold. The high street model just seems daft to me.

So the question - why would anyone actively choose to go 'physical' shopping when you can buy the same things from a few clicks of the mouse ? I really don't understand why anyone would and equally, if that's the death of the high street, then surely that highlights how the high street hasn't kept up with the times. When I started work there were still typing pools - swiftly taken over by any Tom, Dick or Harriet that could use a word processor. It's progress and business needs to move with the times.

 

[SkirlieWirlie]

Given your first sentence I have a question.

I hate going shopping - really can't stand traipsing between multiple stores to get what I want or the best deal. It's not a pleasure to me. On the very rare occasion I agree to go into town with Mrs WS for her to "have a look", I end up just going to the local pub and leaving her to it. I really don't understand why people get so hot under the collar about people like me using online shopping where I can browse multiple stores in minutes and not get wet and cold. The high street model just seems daft to me.

So the question - why would anyone actively choose to go 'physical' shopping when you can buy the same things from a few clicks of the mouse ? I really don't understand why anyone would and equally, if that's the death of the high street, then surely that highlights how the high street hasn't kept up with the times. When I started work there were still typing pools - swiftly taken over by any Tom, Dick or Harriet that could use a word processor. It's progress and business needs to move with the times.

I don't have a problem with online shopping at all.

Back in the day, the only place you could see what you wanted to buy was on the high street and often you would see the latest clothes, tech, gifts for birthdays, etc for the first time by browsing in shops.

Now we browse online.

Hence my comment regarding physical stores having to be something essential, or a destination to provide and experience over and above what can be delivered by a website.

With regards the feeling of "sadness", it's simply the world moving on, me getting older and a sense of nostalgia.

 

[Durlston]

On the subject of reading I'm picking up my goggs for the first time in my life from SpecSavers tomorrow. Just hope I notice a big difference with them. Two pairs for £160!

 

[Bodian]

Unless I’m imagining it, I used to buy LP’s from WHS in Churchill Square in the 70’s when they had a downstairs record dept.

I spent my Christmas Book Voucher in Churchill Square WHS during the times power cuts because of the miners' strikes or oil crisis (can't recall which). It was lit by candles and oil/gas lamps.

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

I spent my Christmas Book Voucher in Churchill Square WHS during the times power cuts because of the miners' strikes or oil crisis (can't recall which). It was lit by candles and oil/gas lamps.

1st Jan - 7th March 1974 Miners and Railway Workers strikes. 3 day week with power, 2 days with candles.

 

[stewart12]

The problem with the high street struggling is the knock on effect that it has on our towns and cities. Almost all of our settlements are based around the high street being the place you go to buy stuff. That then creates opportunities for cafe's, restaurants, pubs etc as they have an active footfall created for them.

I think we'd love to follow the Spanish model of filling our town centres with outdoor dining opportunities but we simply don't have the weather for it

I've also always thought it's a missed opportunity that most shops have opening hours that pretty much mirror the exact hours that the bulk of the working population are unavailable to shop. The opportunity to change that by having later opening hours has probably passed and probably needed to happen before the rise of Internet shopping- it's just too convenient for the working population to buy online

 

[Weststander]

I find the decline of the high street really sad, as a customer and also having worked in retail for several years.

Used to enjoy browsing things of interest in Woolies, John Menzies, Boots, Smiths, etc, but the reality is many of the products they once sold are now available more easily and cheaply via Amazon and the wealth gets accumulated by fewer and fewer giant corporations, leaving the day to day basics or impulse buys which isn't sustainable.

Retail needs to be an essential service or a destination/experience and the likes of Smiths just isn't

The Amazon effect must be devastating. But then most of us use them including me, a couple of minutes on the internet and a replacement cable or printer ink is on its way, no driving.

 

[clapham_gull]

When I lived in Balham years ago (when folk still bought newspapers and magazines) I noticed that the high street shop opened at 9am...

Trundled along for many years. The block was rebuilt and it now houses a Superdrug.

Opposite is another retailer that can't be bothered to update many of its high street stores...

BOOTS.