A SHOOTOUT for WHSmith has begun, as two major brands hope to take over the 233-year-old retailer.
The move comes weeks after it was revealed that WHSmith’s holding company was looking to offload its 500 UK shops.
WHSmiths is a high street stalwart, having served customers since 1792.
The brand is known for its range of magazines, stationary and books.
Like many major high street chains, WHSmiths has struggled to adapt to the
Now, two rival groups are gearing up to take over the retailer.
The first is Alteri, which owns Bensons for Beds and made headlines when it took control of Missguided in 2021.
However, Missguided was on the “brink of collapse” after just one year and eventually went into administration.
It was later bought out by the Frasers Group.
The other company is Modella, which owns Hobbycraft and The Original Factory shop.
A definitive deal will likely be announced when WHSmith’s interim results are revealed in April.
After offloading their 500 high street shops, the brand is reportedly hoping to focus on its more lucrative travel retailers.
WHSmiths are extremely popular in busy airports, railway stations and hospitals.
They have 1,200 of these stores globally.
The retailer has already shut several of its stores this year as it begins to make the transition.
10 of their UK high street stores have been earmarked for closure in 2025, with locations ranging from London to Durham.
