Major excessive avenue retailer to close second retailer in widespread UK city
The well-known stationery giant WHSmith has more than 1,000 stores across the UK. But the retailer has confirmed the closure of its Winton branch in Bournemouth, Dorset.
A spokesperson for WHSmith revealed that the shop will close early next year: “We can confirm that the WHSmith store in Winton will be closing on February 15.” This comes just a few months after another branch in Boscombe closed permanently.
The Boscombe WHSmith, which closed in June, had been a staple of the town’s retail scene for over a decade. Local shoppers expressed their sadness at the loss of the Boscombe branch, saying they’d “miss it”.
The decision to close another WHSmith store in the area was not made lightly. A WHSmith spokesperson stated: “We are disappointed to be losing our presence in Winton, and we would like to thank all our customers for their support and shopping with us.”
They continued: “We are also extremely grateful for the commitment of our in-store colleagues, whom we will support with this transition and redeploy to nearby stores, where possible,” reports the Express.
While some retailers have been forced to close physical locations due to shifts in consumer behaviour, the WHSmith store in Winton is closing due to the expiration of its lease. There are rumours that a third WHSmith store in Bournemouth could be closing in 2025, according to local news reports.
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The WHSmith store, situated in the heart of the town centre on Old Christchurch Road, could close its doors in January.
WHSmith is keeping tight-lipped about its Old Christchurch Road shop closing, but a company spokesperson confirmed that they’re always eyeing up their lease agreements, including at the Bournemouth outlet.
They revealed: “We keep our store lease agreements under regular review, including at our Old Christchurch Road store in Bournemouth and will share updates on any changes to the store in future.”
Locals took to Facebook to vent, with one saying: “Another shop of Bournemouth bites the dust!! Shame.”
But it’s not all doom and gloom for the high street chain. Despite shuttering several stores across the UK, including one in Bolton, Lancashire, WHSmith announced it’s plotting to open 110 new locations around the globe, targeting travel hubs like airports and stations, and even hospitals.
Focusing more on its travel business, where the tills are still ringing, WHSmith has signalled it’ll be shifting away from the high street, with no plans to pump cash into that part of the empire. Still, the firm told investors it’s set to open 15 new stores this year and then 15 annually for the foreseeable – so watch this space!
