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Original poster

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

311 replies

HeadsDownThumbsUpEveryone · 11/10/2018 09:24

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?

OP posts:
Original poster
HeadsDownThumbsUpEveryone · 11/10/2018 10:05

AIBU to think this thread is a bit of an Amazon fan club!

Some people may have mentioned Amazon but it's not just Amazon who sell these products cheaper. On the high street supermarkets, pound stores, B+M and Wilkos all sell stationary, books and most of the stuff WH Smiths sell for much less money.

Saying you can purchase things cheaper at Amazon is not akin to starting a fan club. For most people watching the pennies even if you want to be, you cannot be too choosy about where you do your shopping.

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SheGotBetteDavisEyes · 11/10/2018 10:06

Wasn't there a twitter account/Insta somewhere that someone set up with 'photos of crap bits of WH Smith branches'?

Bit niche but quite funny.

ThisIsTheFirstStep · 11/10/2018 10:07

I'm certainly no fan of Amazon, but if it costs 3 pounds on Amazon and 6 at WH Smiths, it's not rocket science.

Tinkobell · 11/10/2018 10:07

The secret to their survival I would say has been the sale of impulse confectionary goods which they flog at the tills for next-to-nothing as add on sales. ......all at the expense of the nations health. It's a rubbish business plan.

SheGotBetteDavisEyes · 11/10/2018 10:08

AH..okay, this is it. I think it is the one I'd stumbled on last year. twitter.com/WHS_Carpet

abacucat · 11/10/2018 10:09

And I have bought online books from them as they are often cheaper than amazon.

Original poster
HeadsDownThumbsUpEveryone · 11/10/2018 10:11

The secret to their survival I would say has been the sale of impulse confectionary goods which they flog at the tills for next-to-nothing as add on sales.

Do people actually fall for this sales technique? If you go in to buy a pen or a magazine and they offer you chocolate as well wouldn't most people decline?

OP posts:
pacer142 · 11/10/2018 10:12

Magazines etc you can get from any other store.

No you can't. That's the beauty of WHS and why they survive. The supermarkets etc only sell the top sellers. Yes, most newsagents can order in magazines but they don't have anywhere near the full range on the shelves. WHS (High St stores at least) have a massive selection available off the shelf. It's definitely the "go to" place if you want a niche or special interest magazine as a one off, or if you don't want a regular order. My OH buys railway magazines - even the huge chains like Asda etc only stock a handful of titles, but WHS stock about 20 - he likes to vary what he reads so just goes into WHS every week or two and buys whatever he likes the look of. He's also been known to buy other "niche" magazines just for general interest, such as aircraft, model boats, traction engines, etc which you never see anywhere else.

C8H10N4O2 · 11/10/2018 10:13

Access in ours is now very poor so disabled people never go there anymore

Ours too. Disabled customers are right at the bottom of their terrible customer service attitude. I travel a lot for work and have sometimes used airport/station Smiths to pick up a quick sandwich and a drink.

I hate using them, not just because the cluttered messy shops are difficult to navigate but the staff are just unpleasant. Multiple times they have had a couple of staff standing chatting whilst tills are closed and you are pointed wordlessly at the self service tills. I struggle with these due to disability (which is visible). No help is ever offered, when I've asked I've been told "not my job" whilst they carry on chatting.

There is no other shop I can think of where customer service is consistently this appalling.

GabsAlot · 11/10/2018 10:14

i go in mine to use the post office at the back-thats it

cards i can get from card facgtory half the price books i can get online

IamEarthymama · 11/10/2018 10:15

I am really struggling money wise at the moment so definitely wouldn't use them as I need those odd extra 50p-£1 that I can save elsewhere.
Our local store, like pp have said, is dirty. Really grubby and dark. Many of our charity shops are much nicer!
I don't like their 'look' either, it's very dated, even Wilko is brighter and cleaner.
I am Ancient so I remember a time when I loved Woolworths and WHSmiths for writing paper and pens, lovely stationery and books.

Austerity has made such a mark on our High Streets, I find visiting towns that I loved as a child so saddening, they have lost their hearts. It is such a short sighted project, many of the buildings would make fantastic homes, the C19th buildings are beautiful. That would then increase the call for local shops and restaurants and other small businesses. Our Smiths is in such just a building but have destroyed the ground floor facade with their Harris fascia.
Luckily the nearest small town to my home village seems to be having a revival, we even have a couple of good coffee shops and I can buy a decent birthday present for an adult without going into the city. Not so far away we have a local brewery and they have opened a bar and restaurant onsite and a couple of local pubs.
None of this helps people on benefits or those like me who can't retire but don't have the energy/health to work as they once did. They would once have been the people shopping in WHSmiths.

Poundland all the way here! WinkGrin

Original poster
HeadsDownThumbsUpEveryone · 11/10/2018 10:15

Pacer142 wouldn't it be easier for you DH to get a subscription such as Readly? Then he can browse magazines to his hearts content, for much less than the prices in WH Smith? It might be a good shout for him for Christmas.

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montenuit · 11/10/2018 10:17

Growing up WHSmith used to be fab. The best stationery, a record department, a book department, a travel agents. It was buzzing. Sad but even for this year's back to school stationery dd got most of it in Ryman's & Paperchase rather than WHSmith.

Original poster
HeadsDownThumbsUpEveryone · 11/10/2018 10:19

Growing up WHSmith used to be fab.

Part of me thinks they know they used to be the go to store for books and stationary so they gave up trying to hard, thinking people would still come based on their old reputation. I am incline to agree with most people on here that the 2 stores local to me are dark, cluttered and very soulless.

OP posts:
minisoksmakehardwork · 11/10/2018 10:21

Access in ours is dreadful. I don't have any mobility/access issues and even I end up bumping into the stacks of books etc at the end of every aisle. Not to mention the cage of stick which blocks the walkway next to their left.

Unless I absolutely need stationery or a magazine I can't get elsewhere I don't go in ours.

I suspect their station and airport business is what keeps them going. A captive audience so they can charge ridiculously high prices.

Sparklingbrook · 11/10/2018 10:23

Our local WH Smith is nice enough, clean and tidy and the staff are lovely.
But bar newspapers and magazines everything they sell can be bought elsewhere A LOT cheaper. We have a Wilkinsons and The Works plus a B&M so I always go there for stationery etc.

Don't WH Smith as a company supply newspapers to other shops?

paxillin · 11/10/2018 10:24

Because "we need a 10 inch ruler that is not transparent", "my calculator is broken" and "it's Sam's birthday" is invariably announced at dinner the day before. The WHS at the station is open until midnight and again from 6am.

C8H10N4O2 · 11/10/2018 10:26

WHS (High St stores at least) have a massive selection available off the shelf

How big is your local WHS? Ours has less choice of books and magazines than the local supermarket and much less choice than the local independent Newsagent (who will order absolutely any interest for you and are pleasant to deal with).

Sparklingbrook · 11/10/2018 10:26

Growing up we never bought records from WH Smith because it wasn't a 'chart return shop' so it wouldn't count. Or something. Had to go to Our Price or Woolworths.

Original poster
HeadsDownThumbsUpEveryone · 11/10/2018 10:28

Because "we need a 10 inch ruler that is not transparent", "my calculator is broken" and "it's Sam's birthday" is invariably announced at dinner the day before.

But all of those issues can be resolved by using supermarkets surely? The fact they have a monopoly in hospitals, train stations and airports does not mean they have the same monopoly on the high street.

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abacucat · 11/10/2018 10:28

Yes I have also bought specialist magazines in there. They do have things no one else has.
I only go there if nowhere else stocks something though.

haggisaggis · 11/10/2018 10:28

Our W H Smiths is really good - and usually reasonably busy. I hope it doesn’t close as our High Street is suffering from empty stores as it is. We don’t have another book shop close by or anywhere else with a stationery range like Smiths. Staff are friendly too (but most folk here are!)

Myimaginarycathasfleas · 11/10/2018 10:28

I’ve been trying to find a Logic puzzle book for my holiday. Only our high street WH Smith in my town had one. Not even the airport franchises carry them.

Zoflorabore · 11/10/2018 10:30

Liverpool used to have a huge one back in the day, it had all of the music and films downstairs and the stationery upstairs, it was fantastic and then got closed down and became River Island and we now have a much smaller one at Liverpool One which isn't as good.

I did buy all of ds's GCSE art supplies there this year as the selection was very good and most of it was half price.
I also buy his revision guides there but that's it.

Books are always from Amazon, so much cheaper.

DGRossetti · 11/10/2018 10:31

Some people may have mentioned Amazon

We bought something for DW from Amazon a week ago. Eligible for VAT relief with the right form.

Emailed the form yesterday, and money was refunded an hour later.

That's the standard by which we gauge service these days ....