[News] WHSmith

[Frutos]

WH Smith in secret talks to sell historic high street arm

London-listed WH Smith is in negotiations to sell the high street operation which opened its first store in central London in 1792, Sky News can exclusively reveal.

news.sky.com

Looks like another famous name is going to disappear from our High Streets. As a former employee I can't say I'm surprised - high street sales were falling year after year when I left in 2017, and the travel business has been keeping WHS afloat for years.

Question is, of course, who would want to take it on?

 

[Chicken Run]

WH Smith in secret talks to sell historic high street arm

London-listed WH Smith is in negotiations to sell the high street operation which opened its first store in central London in 1792, Sky News can exclusively reveal.

news.sky.com

Looks like another famous name is going to disappear from our High Streets. As a former employee I can't say I'm surprised - high street sales were falling year after year when I left in 2017, and the travel business has been keeping WHS afloat for years.

Question is, of course, who would want to take it on?

Elon Musk?

 

[WATFORD zero]

WH Smith in secret talks to sell historic high street arm

London-listed WH Smith is in negotiations to sell the high street operation which opened its first store in central London in 1792, Sky News can exclusively reveal.

news.sky.com

Looks like another famous name is going to disappear from our High Streets. As a former employee I can't say I'm surprised - high street sales were falling year after year when I left in 2017, and the travel business has been keeping WHS afloat for years.

Question is, of course, who would want to take it on?

Woolworths ?

 

[Pavilionaire]

It has amazed me the high street business has survived for this long.
Obviously, sad for the workers although not unexpected.
File alongside Woolworths and Debenhams.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

WH Smith in secret talks to sell historic high street arm

London-listed WH Smith is in negotiations to sell the high street operation which opened its first store in central London in 1792, Sky News can exclusively reveal.

news.sky.com

Looks like another famous name is going to disappear from our High Streets. As a former employee I can't say I'm surprised - high street sales were falling year after year when I left in 2017, and the travel business has been keeping WHS afloat for years.

Question is, of course, who would want to take it on?

WH Smith has been a bit of a bric-a-bric store for many years now, a sort of latter-day Woolies. You go in there to buy, say, some over-priced envelopes, and the checkout staff are desperately trying to sell you a cut-price deal on a Mars Bar and a bottle of water. Oh well

 

[Solid at the back]

It's an absolute rip off in there.

 

[Biscuit Barrel]

I just hope that I can find another retailer to sell me a birthday card for £4.80

 

[Easy 10]

Nooooo!

Its so handily placed in Churchill Square for me to buy a newspaper and slope into the creche (Prince of Wales) for an hour or two whilst the doris does her retailing.

 

[Wozza]

When I lived in Balham years ago (when folk still bought newspapers and magazines) I noticed that the high street shop opened at 9am... just as the rush of passing commuters ended each day.

Joke of a company. Surprised they've lasted this long tbh.

I think the railway station stores are a different part of the company (?) but they can f-off too, but only selling large drinks and for a minimum of £2.

Serve the public, don't rip them off!

 

[Official Old Man]

In Uckfield we have WH Smith plus Sussex Stationers, both in huge shops and both owned by the same company. I think it's only the Post Office that is keeping foot fall alive.
Reminds me of the times I visited the PO in the basement of Smiths in Churchill Square. Always a long queue so people would pick up a magazine to read and at the end just dump it on a shelf. Always a pile of mags that must have been thrown away every day.
Am I right in thinking that they also own the newspaper and magazine distribution company?

 

[The Fits]

I recently bought some art stuff from a smaller store because the local Works wasn’t open and there’s limited choice. It was over 30 quid for a pad, a pack of pencils and a pack of charcoals. Would be about a tenner for that at the Works or online. Was shocked but felt it my patriotic duty to buy. Not surprised they’re going.

 

[portlock seagull]

One of the great mysteries of retail: how they’ve survived this long?

 

[Easy 10]

Maybe their airport branches have helped them limp along. The last-minute buyers of books and magazines just before a flight must account for a chunk of their revenues, I know I've done it often enough in the past. Although not any more now I've got a Kindle.

 

[Peacehaven Wild Kids]

Nooooo!

Its so handily placed in Churchill Square for me to buy a newspaper and slope into the creche (Prince of Wales) for an hour or two whilst the doris does her retailing.

handily placed to buy a what?

 

[Easy 10]

handily placed to buy a what?

Its a bit like a tablet except its all bendy, there's no sound, you can't scroll, and the pictures don't move.

 

[Bozza]

WH Smith in secret talks to sell historic high street arm

London-listed WH Smith is in negotiations to sell the high street operation which opened its first store in central London in 1792, Sky News can exclusively reveal.

news.sky.com

Looks like another famous name is going to disappear from our High Streets. As a former employee I can't say I'm surprised - high street sales were falling year after year when I left in 2017, and the travel business has been keeping WHS afloat for years.

Question is, of course, who would want to take it on?

One of the last remaining bits of the High Street that Mike Ashley doesn't own.

I'm sure he could find a use for it.

 

[Peacehaven Wild Kids]

Having said that, It was useful for these in the late 70s. Plenty of corners and the lack of an athletic store detective made the price within my pocket money grade.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Maybe their airport branches have helped them limp along. The last-minute buyers of books and magazines just before a flight must account for a chunk of their revenues, I know I've done it often enough in the past. Although not any more now I've got a Kindle.

Didn't they go through an airport phase of charging you VAT on, say, your newspaper, and then not passing the VAT on to HMCE?

 

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Where are we now supposed to kill a good 20 mins or so raiding the music, film or sporting magazines for free - whilst waiting at any medium sized railway station?

 

[Easy 10]

Didn't they go through an airport phase of charging you VAT then not passing it on to hmgov?