poster
By MEGAN HOWE and ANNIE SCALES, VISUAL STORYTELLING DESIGNER
Published: | Updated:
WHSmith is set to close 17 of its stores over the coming months, following a string of closures last year.
It comes after WHSmith previously announced plans to open 110 new branches in airports, train stations and hospitals where profits were higher than high street shops, as well as more than 50 stores in North America.
The iconic high street chain has already seen two of its stores in Luton, Bedfordshire and Old Christchurch Road, Bournemouth, close its doors for good on January 18.
And more will follow between now and May, spreading across the whole country, in places including Greater London, Manchester, Cambridgeshire and Essex.
The WHSmith store in Basingstoke will close its doors on February 1 in a crushing blow to locals, as it has been a staple of The Malls shopping centre for over 50 years.
Meanwhile, the WHSmith store in Newtown, Powys, will shut on February 15. The store first opened in 1927 and has a small museum on the first floor depicting the long running business’ history.
Confirming the closure, a spokesperson told the Powys County Times: ‘We are disappointed to be losing our presence in Newtown, however, regrettably, it is no longer sustainable to continue to trade from this location.’
WHSmith is set to close 17 of its stores over the coming months, following a string of closures last year (stock)
WHSmith’s are typically found on high streets, as well as in stations and airports
The full list of WHSmith stores closing in 2025 is as follows:
- Bournemouth Old Christchurch Road, Dorset – January 18
- Luton, Bedfordshire – January 18
- March, Cambridgeshire – January 25
- Basingstoke, Hampshire – February 1
- Newtown, Powys – February 15
- Winton branch in Bournemouth, Dorset – February 15
- Rhyl, Denbighshire – February 15
- Bolton, Greater Manchester – February
- Accrington, Lancashire – March 15
- Halstead, Essex – April
- Halesowen, West Midlands – April
- Diss, Norfolk – April
- Newport, South Wales – April
- Haverhill, Suffolk – April 26
- Stockton, County Durham – May
- Oldham, Greater Manchester – May
- Orpington, Greater London – no date given yet
Over the last two years, WHSmith has closed 10 stories, including locations in Manchester, Crewe, Ramsgate, Bicester, Somerset and Sale.
Late last year it was also announced WHSmith would begin selling vinyl records again following a three-decade hiatus, in response to a growing trend among shoppers.
But WHSmith, which first opened in 1792, was voted Britain’s worst or second worst high street retailer for nine straight years from 2011 to 2019, in a poll conducted by consumer watchdog Which?
Customers became exacerbated by the chain’s declining state, with its seemingly random stock, shabby carpets and disorderly presentation.
Customers became exacerbated by the chain’s declining state, with its seemingly random stock, shabby carpets and disorderly presentation
Established in 1792, WHSmith’s first shop was opened by Henry Walton Smith and his wife Anna
WHSmith opened its first travel retail store in London’s Euston station in 1848
One customer tweeted several years ago: ‘Serious question: How has WHSmith survived? Am I missing something positive about what it does? Overpriced goods, tatty stores, many rivals.’
Another said: ‘It sells overpriced products from tatty shops with little or no customers.’
In November 2020, the retailer announced it would close 25 high street stores, affecting nearly 200 jobs, after the pandemic pushed the business £280million into the red, The Guardian reported.
The chain said it was likely to permanently close the stores after sales in its high street business fell by 19 per cent.
Established in 1792, WHSmith’s first shop was opened by Henry Walton Smith and his wife Anna in Little Grosvenor Street, London.
A few decades later WHSmith opened its first travel retail store in London’s Euston station in 1848.
admin
