Which WHSmith stores are closing? Locations affected and where stores are opening
WHSmith is closing a number of branches in the United Kingdom as it looks to expand its activities into the travel sector.
The retail giant, which operates more than 1,100 stores, has closed eight stores since March 2023, including in Manchester and Bicester, England.
In the meantime, the stationery retailer has said goodbye to branches in Oban, Scotland, and Ramsgate, Kent.
But it also comes at a time of expansion for the chain, which will open 15 branches at airports and train stations in 2024, as a boost to shoppers.
Here’s everything you need to know:
Which British stores will close?
WHSmith closed its branch in Crewe, Cheshire, in early 2023, in a blow to locals.
The location in the Victoria Shopping Center welcomed customers for the last time in March.
That same month, the stationer pulled down the shutters of its branch in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire.
In August, a store in Bicester, Oxfordshire closed, while another in Manchester closed permanently on December 2, 2023.
In 2024, WHSmith closed four sites, including in Alfreton, Derbyshire in January, and Ramsgate, Kent, the same month.
In February, two more branches closed for good, including in Oban, Scotlandand Nantwich in South Cheshire.
This is the full list of stores and their closing dates:
- Crewe, Cheshire – March 2023
- Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire – March 2023
- Bicester, Oxfordshire – August 2023
- Manchester – December 2, 2023
- 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
By the end of February, WHSmith had announced no further branch closures for the subsequent months after Margate.
However, in June 2023 it confirmed it would NOT open any more high streets, which would be a blow to shoppers.
The retailer said opening more high street stores would be “just a duplication” and that it wanted to focus on growing its portfolio outside the sector.
What about openings?
Where these new store openings will be found are train stations and airports, WHSmith said in January.
It came after high street announced companywide sales rose 8% in the 20 weeks to January 20, compared to the same period last year.
Meanwhile, UK travel sales grew by 15% over the same period. That is compared with a 3% decline in sales for its high street portfolio.
In an update to investors in late January, the retailer said it was on track to open 15 stores by 2024, with a further 15 to follow “each year over the medium term”.
The retailer has yet to announce a list of locations where it will open branches or when it will welcome customers for the first time.
It is part of wider WHSmith plans to open 110 new stores worldwide.
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