It’s by no means been related to nice promoting, however someway WH Smith is a model that has a spot within the nation’s heads, if not their hearts. Now the 233 year-old retailer has been offered to Modella Capital in a £76 million deal, and its 480 excessive road shops will quickly be branded as TGJones.
Most individuals consider WH Smith the place they purchase their newspapers and paperbacks on the railway station or airport, whereas attempting to withstand the rolling particular provides on big chocolate bars. The WH Smith model will nonetheless be standing proud in these areas, of which it has 1200 in 32 international locations. They make up 85% of its earnings.
Modella, which purchased one other UK retail chain, Hobbycraft, final yr, has chosen the brand new identify to retain the “household really feel” of WH Smith. It’ll proceed to run as TGJones alongside the identical strains, however is choices like promoting off the digital greetings card enterprise.
Carl Cowling, the group chief government at WH Smith, mentioned: “As we proceed to ship on our strategic ambition to change into the main world journey retailer, it is a pivotal second for WH Smith as we change into a enterprise completely centered on journey.
“As our journey enterprise has grown, our UK excessive road enterprise has change into a a lot smaller a part of the WH Smith Group. Excessive road is an effective enterprise; it’s worthwhile and money generative with an skilled and high-performing administration group.
WH Smith had change into a reasonably faceless model on the excessive road anyway, however the brand new identify doesn’t look prone to change that any time quickly. A very good alternative for promoting to make a distinction.
