To wonder what WH Smith's secret is...

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So news this morning suggests that WH Smith are struggling again and have reported losses and a plan to overhaul their stores. As part of this review they have announced they are closing 6 of their stores (they still have 610 stores on the high street and 839 travel outlets in airports, train stations etc).

Am I the only one amazed that they are only closing 6 stores. I cannot think of a single thing they sell that cannot be purchased elsewhere for less. Whilst it is horrible news for those employed at these stores, how on earth are they still operating? Other than merging some post offices into some of their stores what key service do they provide to make them such a viable business? What is the secret to their survival when so many bigger stores have disappeared?

It's obviously the beginning of the end for them.

Our local one closed long time ago, it used to be my go to place but the constant flogging of not just one but several chocolate bars or something other offers by cashier put me off. no just let me pay for goods and go, people are tutting behind

Think this made staff miserable also.

They will survive at airports and train stations only time I go in them now and pay ridiculous prices.

I assumed it's because they're often the only choice in smaller towns.
The town where I grew up has no Waterstones or Paperchase, so if you can't wait for a delivery you're a captive market.

It's obviously the beginning of the end for them.

See I really cannot imagine them ever disappearing completely. The stores have been quiet for years and they are not hugely competitive regarding prices, most of the books you can buy cheaper elsewhere even in supermarkets and yet they are still here?

I would have et money on them disappearing before places like BHS, Woolies or Toy R Us but somehow they have outlasted them.

When I lived in Aylesbury yonks ago, that WHSmiths was always busy but that’s because they closed main post office and put it in there.

No idea how the high street stores still exist.

Exorbitant prices, disinterested staff and all the tat they upsell at the tills. Not a pleasant experience.

Is 'captive audience' the new buzz word to describe shops or something?

People go there because they have to. Sometimes it's the only newsagents in a small town, plus it's the only place you can buy stuff in the airport/train station. Everything is overpriced too, so they're probably raking it in on chocolate/drinks etc.

I can't believe anyone buys books/stationery there.

I’ve no idea how our local one survives. It’s a really big store but the tills are not busy. The shopping experience is horrible, everything is really tightly packed in, dated decor, crap lighting. Book selection worse than other close shops, toy selection worse than the nearby supermarket, at least 3 other nicer stationary shops nearby and a lot of cheaper shops selling similar stuff.

We buy something from there about twice a year. Basically if you want more specialist stationery and need it that day, rather than waiting for an internet delivery, they are often the only choice. An overpriced one yes, but worth paying a few extra pounds for.

They have shops in hospitals, too, where the prices for some items are far higher than in other branches of Smiths.

I like Smiths, though, apart from the hospital overcharging. Their own-brand stationery products are good quality, and they have a huge selection of magazines ... and very weirdly, I have a special fondness for the lettering they use on their products and displays, which hasn't changed in about thirty years or more. I just wish they would do something about the awful, cluttered, dirty stores.

Do you really not mind paying so much more for an item than you would be able to buy just as easily in another store?

Usually because we can see what we are getting, sometimes not always clear with on-line shopping, or don't want to wait for delivery or because we are in the shop looking remember we need something and the slightly higher price isn't a huge disincentive.

With captive market locations - it because it's the options are do without or buy from there.

Our little one has the only post office around so it is busy thanks to that. Also, there is only one other shop selling stationary and that is also expensive. No large supermarket to get something your child dropped to you on the way home from school they need the next day.

I went with DD in Summer to our main one as she wanted to shop in a store for school stuff instead of online and I Eduardo to go backwards and forwards just to save £0.50. So we got the majority of stuff from them. But it is a huge one and had a good selection of things plus they have a huge book section with lots of offers.

They are losing 4% on the high street but making a lot on airports. I think the airport business must be propping them up? Do they own any shops?

It's the station franchises, surely. Yesterday in Liverpool Lime Street, I paid £3.69 for a pot of chewing gum that costs £2 elsewhere.

Ive always been amazed at how long WHSMITH have been going for too. Overpriced stuff. The only time I used it regularly was when I commuted to work. They tend to be situated at most train stations so I'd buy a paper/magazine and chocolate from there. Think they hold a captive audience at airports and train stations. But honestly don't understand how they still run town based ones? Always cheaper to buy elsewhere.

Actually WHSmith online is actually cheaper than Amazon a lot of the time with a standard of 25-35% off most inprint back catalogue paperbacks, I click and collect from store to pick up on lunch break, (because if books go to my house they do not fit in the letterbox and they end up going back to the post office sorting centre which is a slog to get to).

Then I get in store to collect and buy the 1 and get 1 half price and end up getting a voucher for 20% off which gets me in again and cycle continues

I remember being told they were the ones who invented ISBNs on books

They tried to up footfall in the nearest to me by putting a post office in it. Didn't work. Went to a consultation about it and was told theres zero risk to the post office going there in terms of whsmiths going bust so it was best all round I looked and he said it was "guaranteed for ten years at least! It's smiths" when I pointed out no one thought woolworths was going to go bust he changed the subject very rapidly.

Ffs. No one can guarantee a business will remain in business for a decade!

Access in ours is now very poor so disabled people never go there anymore - boxes of crap blocking the aisles. Constantly giving away free sun newspapers if you spend over a £1 isn't doing anything for them either!

They're one of 2 national distributors who have half the market in a pretty unique, anti-competitive market place, any time you make a purchase in 50% of other newsagents, supermarkets or wherever you see news and mags on sale then they are getting their cut

The continued existence of their retail op is confusing though, although I imagine the distro side of the op props that up a fair bit

My local WHS is filthy. Upstairs is worse so it's not shite that's blown in from the street. You wipe your feet before you leave.

AIBU to think this thread is a bit of an Amazon fan club! Aren't we supposed to think Amazon is evil?

WHSmiths is not just shops they have distribution centres too that deliver all the news papers and magazines to local shops and news agents each morning.

I get, and use, their till vouchers which sometimes are well worth it.

Getting out of a lease on a store generally costs more than keeping it open. So unfortunately in these loss making stores stores stay open. Sadly to break the lease is hard and finding someone to take a retail space on a fading high street is even harder.

They will be closing ones due for lease renewals only

The till staff need to up their game with flogging the chocolate oranges and scratch cards.

It’s a dated throwback and doesn’t deserve success if they can’t keep up.

They dominate "no choice" and "low choice" locations - airports, stations, hospitals and many service stations where they provide overpriced goods in limited range.

The customer service is truly appalling - its the one feature that makes them stand out from the crowd.

Our local high street Smiths is a tatty old hole with less choice of books and stationary than the local supermarket. Its nearly always empty. I have long assumed that its only by exploiting their low choice outlets that they avoid bankruptcy.