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?

Apparently, 73% of the UK population visit a WH Smith store at least once a year.

It's 'stationery' by the way!

YANBU. I think WH Smith is a dingy horrible shit tip. I have spent no more than a tenner in there this decade, and as has been said, everything is HUGELY overpriced. Most stuff in there, you can buy for a quarter of the price in Home Bargains, Poundland, Poundstretcher, B & M, and Wilko's. Even the big supermarkets sell stuff much cheaper.

Baffles me to the extreme that it's still going. Who is carrying it? Is it part of a much more massive chain? Even so, why would anyone else carry them long term?

I did used to love the place, as I love stationary and books and magazines and board games and stuff like that, but this past decade or so, it has lost its way. All their stores look like they were last decorated and refurbished in 1993, and they smell funny, and everything is expensive.

I'd never ever buy a book from WHS- might browse then order on Amazon. I find the whole layout- lighting, fixtures, down market displays- so depressing. And don't even start me on the cheap chocs!

Very very occasionally I might pick up a card, if I'm looking for one, but I'd normally use Paperchase or supermarkets.

The whole place looks so dated and untidy, I just want to run out of it!

The WH Smith in the last town I lived in was utterly manky. Only grubby until the PO moved in, actively horrible once it had the extra footfall. Its carpet was black with trodden in chewing gum, the handrails on stairs too dirty to touch. Nicely finished off by the recently acquired stock of sweets and chocolate stored in the unpleasant surroundings. I'm amazed its still in business.

Apparently, 73% of the UK population visit a WH Smith store at least once a year.

That might be true but what percentage of those people actually buy something? I have visited our local one a few times in the past week but that's only to use the post office and I don't think I am alone in that being my reason for visiting.

Apparently, 73% of the UK population visit a WH Smith store at least once a year

And does 'visit' mean buy???.

Railways stations and airport I bet. No breakdown in that stat for towns I assume?

They used to own the main magazine & newspaper distribution company in the U.K. but they split just over 10yrs ago.

My dads village shop used to get all the papers & magazines from them when I was a kid.

There original success and continued existence has generally been down to their locations. They sewed up the railway station market from the beginning of passenger railway.

Apparently, 73% of the UK population visit a WH Smith store at least once a year

I do regularly. I very rarely buy anything though. In fact I can’t remember the last time I did.

I have absolutely no idea why anyone goes in our local Smiths. It's dark and dingy with difficult access and is within less than a couple of hundred yards of a Watestones, a Works, a discount greetings card store and a Smiggle (With a Paperchase and a Hallmark store further down the shopping centre). It utterly baffles me how it's still there.

And Boots is a bit annoying as well. But nowhere near as bad as Smith's.

I agree with others that its the travel side propping up the high street, however its also the space they sell, with the post office, the ATMs, all the FSDUs, these all bring in money to them, TPCs have a massive high profit margin for them, I believe they cut the lighting by 10% (why they are usually so dark,) most the staff have been there years and the salaried staff work way beyond the hours they are paid for. They cut their out sourced cleaning staff and now the staff of the shop have to clean and each year they cut their staffing budget by up to 20%.

The worse thing they ever did was sell of their buildings and rent them back

A relative of mine worked there for thirty years and saw the decline first hand. She told me it used to be the only place you could go for certain items, the shops were well run, staff morale was good and the quality of merchandise was excellent.

Like so much in business, it is now all about the bottom line. Apparently, the company isn't well run - the management have been shadow boxing for a long time, lurching from crisis to crisis buying cheap merchandise and hoping to sell it at a premium price. This doesn't work any longer - the likes of Amazon have seen to that.

They are still in business (as others have said) because of hospitals, airports and stations. They will eventually disappear from the high street and remain in these areas only. Ditto M&S: soon only the food shops will remain. The clothing departments will vanish.

They would be out of business if they didn't have Post Offices. Only go in when no other choice.

even in our small town there is more than Smiths for all the things they sell, no need for the packaging waste and tax avoidance of Amazon. We have an independent stationer (And an independent bookstore) - the stationer is much cheaper than Smiths, the bookstore is of course the same but has a much bigger range.

Smiths and Boots are hugely overpriced and I fear only survive due to inertia.

My local one is about a decade old from when the shopping centre opened. They took the opportunity to downsize from their previous branch which naturally took care of the void of declining music and video sales.

It does have a piled high, cheapy banners feel. I'd rather browse for books in Waterstones and stationery in Paperchase.

What astonishes me in retail is how senior management don't get the message that people don't want badgering for add-ons, or (M&S) want core, basic products done well, not badly done fashion and keep flogging on with what they think people want.

our town centre store is always empty, people call for newspapers but there's about 1p profit on a paper.
They rely on people buying other things, but if people can buy it cheaper elsewhere, they'll just take their paper.
I've wondered for a while why they are still open.
I can understand the station shops and kiosks as there is a captive audience often with no competition, but the days of the high street have certainly got to be over.
Stationary is cheaper in The Works or Wilco, Books, cards from card factory, toys from any toy shop are cheaper.

@clavinova

73% of people visit a WH Smith at least once a year.

Is that meant to be a lot?

Almost out of date Terry's Chocolate Orange with you newspaper Madam???

Last time I went to a WH Smiths (in a retail park) it was nothing like the horror stories above. The shop was clean and not overcrowded.

They are the best place around for magazines. They're decent for stationery, more choice than supermarkets and I think cheaper than Ryman's. They're pretty mediocre for books but I still ended up buying a couple of annuals for Christmas presents and a book for myself.

Someone's mentioned Marks. Hideous poor quality clothing what are they thinking of? Poking through the racks last week, the woman next to me sighed and said they may as well push this lot into the market outside and try to get a few quid for them. Wouldnt miss their clothing. Like the food though and no online food sales so yes, the food side probably does well.

When I worked for a rival stationery company rumour had it that they aggressively negotiate their stations and airport deals and put in conditions like no other stationery/card shops in the same station? I think they own funky pigeon as well....

www.whsmithplc.co.uk/about_whsmith/key-facts/

Despite the good performance from our High Street business, we are not ignoring the challenging conditions being experienced on the high street more generally. As such, we have undertaken a detailed review of our High Street businesses to ensure they remain fit for purpose now and for the future. As a result of this review, we have made the following decisions: to increase the focus on our core categories; wind down non core trial initiatives including Cardmarket and WHSmith Local; restructure some operational activities; and close around 6 High Street stores.

The Group generated free cash flow of £96m. The cash generative nature of both the High Street and Travel businesses is one of the key strengths of the Group.

There you go - the people with access to the figures seem happy enough with the company's performance. £96m profit after tax on a £1,262m turnover is pretty good for retail in the current climate.

I actually bought a book there the other day. The new Tom Gates with a free book.

My ds loves the shop so we are in all the time, but it is expensive.

I refuse to use Amazon so new books (not very often) I will uue WHSmiths.

I love Chocolate Orange - but only the dark chocolate one!

@safariboot

WH Smith's are the best place around for magazines. They're decent for stationery, more choice than supermarkets and I think cheaper than Ryman's. They're pretty mediocre for books but I still ended up buying a couple of annuals for Christmas presents and a book for myself.

I gather there is no Waterstones, Wilko's, Tesco, Morrisons, Adsa, Sainsbury's, Poundland, B & M, Home Bargains, or Poundstretcher within 15 miles of your house then ??? There can't be if WH Smith's is the 'best place around,' to get all the stuff you have named!

If WH Smiths ARE making a profit, I am utterly baffled as to how.

Also agree with the posters saying M & S being an outdated, overpriced dump too. And Waitrose is going that way too. Don't know anyone who shops at either one of those stores anymore.