WHSmith to close 17 stores as part of restructuring strategy
WHSmith is set to close 17 stores across the UK this year as part of an ongoing restructuring strategy.
The closures will take place between now and May, with the first two already shutting their doors earlier this month.
These latest closures come after the retailer has been downsizing its high street estate since 2023. At the time, the retailer’s CEO Carl Cowling said WHSmith would no longer be opening more high street locations, instead opting for travel hubs.
More than half of WHSmith’s 1,100+ stores are now located in travel locations such as airports and train stations.
The retailer has also been prioritising its international expansion, opening more stores in markets such as Europe, North America, and Asia.
The full list of stores with their closing dates are listed below:
- Bournemouth (Old Christchurch Road), Dorset – 18 January
- Luton, Bedfordshire – 18 January
- March, Cambridgeshire – 25 January
- Basingstoke, Hampshire – 1 February
- Newtown, Powys – 15 February
- Bournemouth, Dorset – 15 February
- Rhyl, Denbighshire – 15 February
- Bolton, Greater Manchester – February
- Accrington, Lancashire – 15 March
- Halstead, Essex – April
- Halesowen, West Midlands – April
- Diss, Norfolk – April
- Newport, South Wales – April
- Haverhill, Suffolk – 26 April
- Stockton, County Durham – May
- Oldham, Greater Manchester – May
- Orpington, Greater London – no date given
It is anticipated that WHSmith will announce further closures as the year goes on.