Update []: WH Smith's high street business has been purchased by Modella Capital, which has announced that it will rebrand stores as TGJones (thanks, BBC News).
As previously mentioned, this will not impact WH Smith's shops at airports and railway stations, or its outlets in hospitals—so it's not vanishing forever. It will, however, disappear from the UK's high streets, where it has been a staple since the Victorian era.
Original Story: Tue 28th Jan 2025
If you live in the UK, then chances are you're familiar with the high-street retailer WH Smith.
With a history that can be traced back to 1792, the company has been part of the British retail landscape for over 200 years and, at one point, was one of the biggest sellers of home computer games in the country–so much so that it was represented in an episode of Charlie Brooker's Black Mirror.
WH Smith was once primarily known for selling stationary, magazines, newspapers, book and music, and many 40-something gamers will no doubt remember picking up the latest Mean Machines, CVG or EDGE from their local branch.
However, as the demand for print media has declined, WH Smith has been forced to diversify its business, and today makes most of its profit from its 'travel' outlets in train stations, hospitals and airports.
The decline of the British high street has been so dramatic that WH Smith is now looking to offload its struggling 500-store chain so it can focus solely on its aforementioned travel operation, which numbers around 1,200 stores worldwide. Last year, this part of the business accounted for 75% of the company's revenue and 85% of its trading profit.
It's not known who will purchase WH Smith's high street stores, and there's no guarantee that they will be maintained in their current state. While many UK gamers readers will rightly claim that's no big loss, it could actually have a more significant impact than you might expect.
Sure, your average WH Smith store in 2025 is packed with many items that are unlikely to tempt the modern player, but—as we've already established—it has long been a bastion for video game print media. It's also one of the only physical stores that stocks a wide range of video game-related publications, including Retro Gamer, EDGE, and even Amiga Addict, an independent print magazine devoted to Commodore's long-defunct home computer.
Should WH Smith's stores be sold off, there's no assurance that the new owner will see any value in stocking specialist magazines of this type, especially when you consider that the circulations for even the most popular gaming magazines are pretty pitiful when compared to the glory days of the '80s and '90s.
We could be facing a situation where it's impossible for many people to pick up a physical copy of magazines like Retro Gamer without having a subscription—a situation which could have dire consequences for the longevity of such magazines at a time when print media is already on its last legs.
Time Extension's local WH Smith branch, based in Loughborough, has been in its current location since the 1970s and was a regular haunt for me as a youngster. It is closing this year, along with several other branches up and down the country, and I will feel its absence keenly; this was where I picked up copies of Games-X, as well as many other gaming publications.
I can certainly admit I'm part of the problem—I don't actually recall the last time I bought anything from the store—it nonetheless makes me sad to see such an important part of my gaming story vanish.
Perhaps you feel the same way, too? Let us know with a comment below.
Are worried about the future of WH Smith on the UK high street? (125 votes)
- Yes
- No
- I don't care either way
Comments 34
Only items I tend to buy are magazines at Smiths, more of an impulse purchase. If they restrict outlets to railway stations, airports and hospitals you are left with the reduced selection at certain supermarkets, some of these do not carry EDGE for example due to sales as mentioned. Would never have discovered the new Amiga Addict magazine in the main shopping centre Smiths randomly by chance recently otherwise. Looks like subscriptions might be only way to get them for certain people in future, plus browsing will be confined to digital means or specialist newsagents that are already on last legs.
Sad, but likewise I don’t routinely shop in their stores.
Our local WH Smith recently added a new Toys ‘R Us section at the back of the store, my wife and I were thrilled, brought back good memories, are children were less bothered.
Seems a shame that as we see the re-emergence of Toys ‘R Us, their host store is now at risk.
My local one is in a large and relatively busy high street (Chelmsford). It has a huge magazine section but rarely anyone looking sadly
Wickford still has a store, formally John Menzies. They always have a good stock of gaming magazines including Retro Gamer ‘bookazines’. I bought one about the SNES and Mega Drive.
It’ll be interesting to see what changes are made by the new owner, if any.
The high street is simply dead.
I see my local council and others repeatedly keep attempting to revitilize the high street with each and every instance being a complete waste of time, effort and more importantly money.
The heady days of 70s/80s busy high streets are now just history as the high street of today are nothing but coffee places, take aways and charity shops.
It has been decades since I have bought a magazine from Smiths (the last one I can remember was Bizarre, and that must have been 20+ years ago) or the like as 95% of my reading material is all digitial with the other 5% being books bought from ebay or charity shops.
Should Smiths close, my only concern is where will the post offices go that are now housed in them or will this be something those who buy the stores will need to carry on?
It’s a shame, but they just fell out of relevance. I haven’t been in a Smiths in years. Back in the ‘80s I’d be in there all the time for C64 games and toys, then in the ‘90s for books, videos, music and games mags.
With physical media dying, there’s very little they can actually sell these days.
I used to buy my C64 tapes in WH Smith's in Croydon, so Black Mirror 80's recreation was even more uncanny. It's a shame to see where the high street has gone now. I do go in Smiths where I live now and I'd always rather buy in an actual shop than online, so be a shame to see yet another one gone. At least a HMV has reopened near me which is great and it has seemed to be pretty busy, I'm already back in buying records.
How many print video game mags are actually left in the UK? Obviously there’s Retrogamer and Edge, both of which I read digitally. But with Play closing down a few months ago, there’s no PlayStation dedicated mags left anymore. Are there any XBox, Ninty or PC focussed mags still clinging on?
@mattb2020 I believe the only ones left are EDGE, Retro Gamer, PC Gamer UK wise. PLAY closed last year and was one of the last single format magazines left. WIREFRAME closed over Pandemic I believe or just before. Amiga Addict does have a news stand presence amazingly. Rather a shell of former self. Very surprised there is no market even for a Nintendo magazine, given demographics of players, yet times change. Hence the resurgence through crowd funding a little, but era has passed, with everything nearly now moved online.
@Ristar24 I noticed pre Christmas HMV were stocking a select number of videogames, mainly popular titles, maybe a test to check out market again.
Aren't magazines pretty much dead already, regardless of WH Smith closing stores? It's just another nail in a coffin that already has plenty of nails.
I can't remember the last time I actually bought a magazine, but I was tempted to buy one a few weeks ago but it was something like $20. Forget that. I know they have to raise the price since the print runs are so much smaller than they used to be, but come on. It's like an unsuccessful restaurant who has to raise their prices to stay in business, but that turns off their customer base even more, so they have to raise their prices even more, and then they close. This is the death spiral magazines are in now.
Where I live we lost WH Smith about 3 years ago after everything started opening back up in the city centre but even the next nearest one 4 or 5 miles away never seems to be busy. News agents and stores of that ilk like WH Smith or a dying thing due to most people being able to get the information they need online for free. Even the other stuff they sell you can usually find better specialist stores nearby. I am honestly surprised they have lasted as long as they have. Then again as the article says they make most of their money from travel locations and hospitals which is understandable when people try and fill that time with something to read.
@mattb2020 PC Gamer is still going
I've been working in retail since 1998 and it has changed so much. Not seeing WHSmiths on the high street would be a blow for those who want books and magazines. Supermarkets don't have much choice and newsagents tend not to bother with them. We put Amiga Addict and Pixel Addict in over 300 stores in 2022. PA came out as the share Menzies takes of a mag is crazy so we just left in AA. Over in the US Barnes & Noble cut back on mags around a year ago also. Whatever happens I am proud I was able to buy a copy of a mag I work on in the same WHSmiths I also bought my very first mag (ST Action) in 1990. Sorry for the long post - mag talk gets me going!
Many happy memories of shopping here, but that was decades ago. So I am not surprised to see this speculation around the companies future. Vote with your wallet.
I buy my son the video game magazine “110% Gaming” from time to time. It comes in a plastic bag with various landfill toys, along with the magazine which has about as many pages as you can count on one hand.
It’s definitely no Mean Machines, but he seems to enjoy it.
WH Smith has been terrible for years. They used to be good but they've over the years sucked out all the good stuff it once had.
So who's W H Smith? But for that matter who the hell is T G Jones??? 😆
@slider1983 it was named after the guys son who started it William Henry Smith after he took over from his father Henry Walton Smith. He also had a son himself named after himself as it was originally called W H Smith & Son.
A huge part of my childhood was spent in Smiths reading the gaming magazines, although I haven't been in there for years I know I'll miss it forever.
WH Smith’s in Manchester used to be great for C64 games back in the day always had a great selection and I could always count on them for a copy of the latest Edge or Retro gamer magazine before travelling either from Victoria station or Manchester airport hope they don’t close too many shops although people looking at and buying magazines has seriously declined over the years
@Zenszulu But...who's T G Jones? Doesn't anyone use their full name any more? 😂
@slider1983 best mates with JD Wetherspoon, as I understand.
@slider1983 TG Jones is WH Smiths younger, cooler cousin. He’s hip with all the kids, wears a leather jacket, and is rad AF!
@HoyeBoye @Martin_H 🤣
@Bod2019 that’s not in Harrogate by any chance is it? It was nice to see that old giraffe there again after so many years!
Smith’s, though an institution, was always ridiculously overpriced. The shops seem like they haven’t been updated since the 90s (the one in our city centre feels like most of the lightbulbs are gone, it is so dark). It will be a pity to loose the large selection of magazines and I have some memories of buying games and DVDs there in the past. However, it was usually when I got a voucher for my birthday, as they were always so overpriced compared to other shops.
@Gamecuber
Bristol, not sure what this new deal means for the Toys ‘R Us revival.
@slider1983 no one ever uses their real name anymore let alone their full name. You expect people to use up all of their valuable time saying peoples full names? Pfft at work I used to go by Oi Mate.
@Zenszulu Yeah but why even use your full name for a store? 🤣
@slider1983 who said it was a store? That's what my work colleagues called me
@Zenszulu I don't mean you, I mean these stores.
@slider1983 oh I read that completely wrong and it used to be quite a common thing in Victorian times and even for most of the 20th century. Both Morrisons and Sainsbury's are named after their original owners and originally had their first initial as part of the store names. Since they started out as small family businesses.
@Zenszulu It was a joke since all the parties involved have initial based names.
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