TryGOLD- Free

Print media will mourn for WHSmith... but who else?
The Independent|January 29, 2025
The theme for the British high street? It has to be Another One Bites the Dust”. WHSmith is the latest famous name for whom that thumping baseline is tolling.
- JAMES MOORE
Print media will mourn for WHSmith... but who else?

The group – with a 232-year history – has put the 500 or so high street shops on the market to focus on its travel outlets, of which there are nearly 1,300 worldwide.

The travel outlets account for 75 per cent of the group’s revenues and 85 per cent of the trading profit. The potential sale has been billed as a surprise. It shouldn’t be – not with numbers like that.

WHSmith sells a mixture of stationery, books, newspapers, magazines and other bits and pieces. The branch I visited, in the Westfield shopping mall in Stratford, east London, was also hawking cheap soft toys ahead of Valentine’s Day. I’m not sure how good anyone receiving one of those is going to feel about their partner. And I also don’t know how many people will actually notice them piled up in bins at the front of the store.

Sandwiched between a bookies and a, well, sandwich shop, you could easily miss it. The M&S Simply Food opposite was doing a roaring trade when I stopped by. Sad, slightly shabby, its floor covered in black icky stuff, the WHSmith was almost empty.

This story is from the January 29, 2025 edition of The Independent.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the January 29, 2025 edition of The Independent.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE INDEPENDENTView All
The Brutalist and Conclave share main spoils at Baftas
The Independent

The Brutalist and Conclave share main spoils at Baftas

Emilia Perez controversy fails to overshadow the event

time-read
3 mins  |
February 17, 2025
Ukraine and Europe face exclusion from US-led talks
The Independent

Ukraine and Europe face exclusion from US-led talks

A senior White House team is heading to Saudi Arabia ahead of possible peace talks on Ukraine amid consternation that the country is being left out of negotiations over its own future.

time-read
2 mins  |
February 17, 2025
'Crying' Letby is innocent, claims former nursing boss
The Independent

'Crying' Letby is innocent, claims former nursing boss

A retired head of nursing at Lucy Letby's hospital has said the convicted killer is innocent, describing meetings with the nurse who \"cried in my arms\".

time-read
3 mins  |
February 17, 2025
Starmer prepared to send British troops to Ukraine
The Independent

Starmer prepared to send British troops to Ukraine

Sir Keir Starmer has announced he is willing to put British troops \"in harm's way\" on the ground in Ukraine to face down Vladimir Putin's forces.

time-read
3 mins  |
February 17, 2025
Zelensky 'trusts Trump' but says US must ‘hear' Ukraine
The Independent

Zelensky 'trusts Trump' but says US must ‘hear' Ukraine

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky spoke about his recent phone call with Donald Trump and his stance on a possible peace agreement with Russia during an interview on US television yesterday.

time-read
3 mins  |
February 17, 2025
'Something is destroyed inside Palestinians and I'm not sure if it can be healed'
The Independent

'Something is destroyed inside Palestinians and I'm not sure if it can be healed'

Amani Ahmed left Gaza as war broke out and was apart from family for months. She tells Alex Croft about life in the UK

time-read
3 mins  |
February 17, 2025
'I've spent half my life in prison for stealing a phone'
The Independent

'I've spent half my life in prison for stealing a phone'

Leroy Douglas begs for freedom, describing his indefinite term as 'cripplingly cruel' as he nears 20 years behind bars

time-read
4 mins  |
February 17, 2025
FBI to help find Southport murderer's search history
The Independent

FBI to help find Southport murderer's search history

The FBI and US Department of Justice have agreed to help UK police investigate Southport killer Axel Rudakubana.

time-read
1 min  |
February 17, 2025
'Mourinho would FaceTime me to ask what I'm doing'
The Independent

'Mourinho would FaceTime me to ask what I'm doing'

Former Man United star Jesse Lingard tells Miguel Delaney about leaving his boyhood club, ‘what might have been’ with England, and how life at FC Seoul has revitalised his career

time-read
5 mins  |
February 17, 2025
Spurs edge United in truly low-quality mid-table clash
The Independent

Spurs edge United in truly low-quality mid-table clash

Towards the end of Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-0 win over Manchester United, with the game still in the balance, both Brennan Johnson and Patrick Dorgu lost theirs.

time-read
4 mins  |
February 17, 2025

We use cookies to provide and improve our services. By using our site, you consent to cookies. Learn more