I was walking along the high street the other day and was striding past a branch of WH Smith when I realised that I hadn’t stepped foot in that shop for years. It got me wondering how that particular retailer was still in business given the odd assortment of goods that it sells and the fact that most of these have become almost irrelevant.
Magazines
WH Smith used to be the place where you bought your magazines but I haven’t spent money on one of those for as long as I can remember. Everything you need to know about anything is readily available online so why buy such a cumbersome thing? I suppose I might read the things if they were available for my kindle, as long as they weren’t overstuffed with adverts which of course they would be.
Books
That brings me to books. WH Smith sells books but with so many people turning to e-readers, booksellers would surely be on borrowed time even without the existence of Amazon. With Amazon set on global domination the situation is even worse.
Stationery and Music
Smith’s also sells stationary but with every major supermarket and any number of pound shops offering a good selection I don’t see many people needing WH Smith for their envelopes, paper and pens. I would think that Stationery will go the same way for Smith’s as music did – out the door.
Art Supplies
So what else did they or do they sell? There used to be a section for artists’ supplies which was probably a decent idea in the pre-internet days. There was hardly an art shop on every high street and so Smiths was the place to go if you didn’t want to travel. Now art shops have ecommerce sites and you can find everything you need online and have it delivered to your door. After all, you don’t need to try on acrylic paints or brushes do you? Art shops have arrived in the 21st century but WH Smith clearly has not.
Travel Business
I understand that their high street sales fell again over the last year which is no surprise. It turns out that what is keeping the organisation viable is the travel related outlets. In other words the shops in airports and stations. Travellers in a rush like the convenience of being able to grab a few things as they pass through and these shops are evidently doing well. Indeed I know they are because I regularly see huge queues in the WH Smith branches at the airports. These queues are mainly full of people clutching cold drinks, snacks and sweets rather than books or magazines.
I have been expecting the demise of WH Smith’s high street operation for quite some time but they have survived so far. I am sure it is only a matter of time before Smith’s will have to confine itself to airports and stations unless it changes tack completely. If I were them I would move into coffee as in my experience it is in the coffee shops that most high street consumers are to be found.
Article by Sally Stacey