If you haven’t already heard the news, beloved high street staple WH Smith is on the brink of some massive changes here in the UK. More than 200 years since it first opened, bosses are closing branches and are now apparently in talks to sell Smiths’ entire high-street division.
It’s a sad moment for our ever-depleting high streets. But when one door closes, another one opens. The owner of HMV, which has been resurrected after going bust in 2018, has his eyes on the 500 WH Smith stores up for grabs.
Doug Putman was the guy who rescued HMV, the mecca of CDs, vinyl, DVDs and music merch, from bankruptcy in 2019. According to the Sun, he’s been involved in discussions with WH Smith bosses.
He’ll reportedly have to compete other bidders that include Modella Capital, which recently bought Paperchase and Jigsaw.
The purchase won’t necessarily see WH Smith disappear. Rather than complete overhaul, a HMV takeover of WH Smith’s high street branches could simply see more records and CDs sold in WHSmith shops (the chain has made a start on this already), with a possible cross-over between the two brands.
One source told the Sun that the difficulty with buying the brand will be figuring out how the branding rights will be distinct from the WH Smith stores in airports, train stations and hospitals that are staying under the current ownership. It may choose to adopt one of its international trading names, InMotion or Marshalls, for those stores.
A cross-over between two of the UK’s longest-standing high street chains would be pretty iconic. A decision on the new owners of Smiths is expected to be reached over the next three months. So watch this space.
Full list of UK high street closures confirmed in 2025, from Co-op to Homebase
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