Aug 26, 2022
The reinvention of WHSmith: from high street to airport terminal
Earnings from its travel division have exceeded those of its 537 high street stores every year since 2010. According to Carl Cowling, the group's chief executive, revenues from WHSmith's US travel business will overtake those of its UK high street stores next year as the move gathers pace. Although the stores sell the usual travel accessories they are tilted towards high-ticket tech; a quarter of the premium headphones sold in the UK are sold in airport stores, while the InMotion at Heathrow's Terminal 2 alone sells £3.5mn of Apple products each year. The logistics of running airport shops are complex and rents are high. The potential rewards are rich: around 30 per cent of travellers at Heathrow airport will make a purchase at a WHSmith outlet, compared with around 1 per cent of those passing through London's Euston rail terminus, according to Cowling.
Related companies
Make a complaint about WHSmith by viewing their customer service contacts.
