WHSmith has confirmed it will close two more stores in just hours as the historic chain starts to vanish from high streets.
The retailer sold off almost 500 high street shops last month, with up to 20 in the coming weeks.
The to Hobbycraft owner Modella Capital will see the WHSmith name disappear from the high street completely, although it has retained its outlets in travel locations.
And, there's no hanging about with branches on high streets in Halstead and Woolwich to shut upat the end of Saturday April 12.
Both stores are holding mega 75% off closing down, so shoppers can get a great deal if they're able to get there in the next few hours.
Eight further sites will close for good in April, May or July and more could join them.
Those confirmed so far are:
- Halstead, – April 12
- Woolwich, – April 12
- Halesowen, – April 19
- Diss, – April 19
- Newport, – April 26
- Haverhill, – April 26
- Oldham, Greater – May 3
- Stockton, County Durham – May 17
- West Mall, Frenchgate Centre – May 31
- Bedford, – July 5
Several of these stores are currently holding closing down sales.
Halesowen and Diss have a huge 75% off and staff say the stock is selling fast.
Newport, Haverhill, Stockton and Oldham have 50% off sales.
Ten have already closed this year.
They were:
- Bournemouth Old Christchurch Road,
- Luton, Bedfordshire
- March,
- Basingstoke,
- Long Eaton
- Newtown, Powys
- Winton branch in Bournemouth, Dorset
- Rhyl, Denbighshire
- Bolton, Greater Manchester
- Accrington,
The end of WHSmith on the high street
The closures mark the beginning of the end of a 233-year stint on the high street for WHSmith.
Earlier this year, it put its as it focuses instead on its more profitable arm.
Its remaining 480 high street stores were snapped up by Hobbycraft owner Modella Capital last month as part of a £76million deal.
The move saved the jobs of roughly 5,000 employees.
However, the famous WHSmith name is set to be lost to the high street as the shops will be gradually rebranded to TGJones.
WHSmith stores will remain in , train stations and hospitals, and the retailer is planning to expand here.
The brand opened its first shop in 1792 in Little Grosvenor Street, London, later becoming the UK's main newspaper distributor.
High street struggles
WHSmith's departure from the high street comes just a few years after rival with the brand partially rescued by .
Retailers that had once seemed resilient now appear to be buckling under recent pressures.
They have had to deal with rising inflation and costs, a move to online shopping, and customers having less money to spend amid the cost of living crisis.
Another struggling chain is , whose owner Pepco hired .
It came after Pepco said it was looking at “all strategic options” to separate Poundland from its brand.
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