WHSmith: iconic high street newsagent brand closing 17 shops amid restructuring - full list of locations

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Big changes are ahead for a beloved UK retailer 🛍️
  • An iconic high street retailer is set to close 17 stores across the UK by May 2025
  • The closures include locations in Bournemouth, Luton and March, with major discounts available
  • WHSmith, which operates over 1,100 stores, plans to focus on expansion outside the high street
  • The company has closed 10 stores in the past two years and will continue to reduce its high street footprint

An iconic high street brand, synonymous with Britain’s retail landscape, is set to close 17 stores in the coming months, with one shutting its doors in just days.

The historic WHSmith, which operates over 1,100 locations nationwide, has been gradually reducing its footprint, having already closed numerous stores since 2023.

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The latest round of closures, scattered across the country, will take place between now and May.

The announcement follows a statement from November in which the company revealed plans to close up to 20 locations annually over the next three years.

At the same time, the brand is preparing to expand, with 90 new stores planned for opening during this period.

(Photo: OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)(Photo: OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
(Photo: OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images

Which WHSmiths locations are closing?

Two of the 17 locations closed just this week, following major closing-down sales to clear out their remaining stock.

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The high street store in Bournemouth gave shoppers the opportunity to enjoy discounts of up to 50% before its permanent closure, and held its final day of trading on January 18.

The store at Luton Point shopping centre was deemed "no longer sustainable to continue trading from" by the retailer. WHSmith confirmed that staff would be offered support and, where possible, redeployed to nearby locations.

A third closure is also scheduled for January, with the shop in March, Cambridgeshire, set to close its doors on January 25.

The full list of WHSmith store closures is as follows:

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  • Accrington, Lancashire - March 15
  • Basingstoke, Hampshire - February 1
  • Bolton, Greater Manchester - February
  • Diss, Norfolk - April
  • Halesowen, West Midlands - April
  • Halstead, Essex - April
  • Haverhill, Suffolk - 26 April
  • Luton, Bedfordshire - January 18
  • March, Cambridgeshire - 25 January
  • Newport, Isle of Wight - April
  • Newtown, Powys - February 15
  • Oldham, Greater Manchester - May
  • Orpington, Greater London
  • Rhyl, Denbighshire - February 15
  • Stockton, County Durham - May
  • Winton, Bournemouth - February 15

Many of the stores set to close have launched "everything-must-go" sales, so if one is shutting near you, it might be worth checking out for some great deals.

In the past two years, WHSmith has closed 10 stores, including branches in Manchester, Bicester, Somerset, and Sale. In 2023, the retailer announced it would no longer be opening additional high street locations, marking a setback for shoppers.

WHSmith said that further expansion on high streets would be "just a duplication," and confirmed its intention to focus on growing its portfolio outside this sector.

Here's the full list of stores which have closed over the past few years:

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  • Alfreton, Derbyshire - January, 2024
  • Bicester, Oxfordshire - August, 2023
  • Bournemouth - October, 2024
  • Crewe, Cheshire - March, 2023
  • Manchester - December 2, 2023
  • Margate, Kent - April 20, 2024
  • Nantwich, South Cheshire - February, 2024
  • Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire - March, 2023
  • Oban, Argyll and Bute, Scotland - February, 2024
  • Ramsgate, Kent - January, 2024
  • Sale, Manchester - September 2024

Despite the closures, WHSmith continues to operate more than 1,100 stores across the UK.

What do you think about these closures? Will you miss these iconic high street stores, or are you looking forward to the brand’s new direction? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.

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