1903

• First overseas branch opens in Paris.

• A dispute with the railways over bookstall rents results in contracts for station sites on the Great Western and London and North Western Railways being lost. The firm reacts rapidly by opening shops near stations. In three months, by 1 January 1906, 150 new shops come into being. Shopfitting (Estate) Department established.

• Publicity Department set up.

• World War I sees more than 4,000 WHSmith people serving their country. The new Head Office, Strand House in Portugal Street, is used as the Postal Censor's office in 1918.

• English bookshop opens in Brussels.

• WHSmith aquires Truslove & Hanson bookshops in London.

• Second Viscount Hambleden dies and is succeeded as head of the business by his son, the third Viscount. The death duties payable necessitated the formation in 1929 of a private limited liability company in which all the partners became the directors.

• Bridge House, Lambeth, is purpose-built to house the Bookbinding Works and Stationery Department.

• World War II - more than 5,000 men and women from WHSmith go into the forces.

• During the 'blitz' the first travelling bookstall appears to replace bombed-out bookstalls.

• WHSmith aquires Sherratt & Hughes bookshops.

• Following the death of the third Viscount Hambleden in 1948, another change in the Company's constitution takes place. As Viscount Hambleden owned all the ordinary shares and the death duties were so heavy, a public holding compnay was formed to buy up all the share capital of WHSmith & Son Limited. The shares of the holding company are subscribed by the family, staff and public. On 1 September 1949, WHSmith & Son (Holdings) Limited is formed. Its Governing Director, and later first Chairman, was the Hon. David Smith, brother of the third Viscount Hambleden.

• WHSmith expands into Canada (subsidiary incorporated sale in 1949).

• WHSmith acquires Bowes & Bowes bookshops.

• Book Department moves to Bridge House, Lambeth from Strand House, Portugal Street.

• WHSmith and American publishing firm, Doubleday, establish Book Club Associates, the biggest book club operation in Britain.

• Centre of book and stationery distribution moves to Swindon from Bridge House, Lambeth.

• CHW Troughton becomes Chairman, the first head of business from outside the Smith family.

• First WHSmith Travel Agency opens. Brown and Orange identity developed.

• Peter Bennett becomes head of business.

• WHSmith acquires LCP Homecentres, later to become WHSmith Do It All.

• Simon Hornby becomes Chairman.

• Cable Services, later to become Television Services Division is established, involving WHSmith in the growing cable and satellite TV industry. Screensport is launched in 1984. Lifestyle is launched in 1985.

• WHSmith acquires US company Elson's Holding Inc (later to become WHSmith Inc) - a retail business for the travelling public. Over 300 stores and shops in operation.

• WHSmith acquire Paperchase stationery stores.
• Hambleden Press, descended in part from the printing works of 1860, is sold to Satellite Press.
• WHSmith acquire Our Price Music, the recorded music chain.

• WHSmith dispose of Book Club Associates.
• Heathcote Books, Britain's biggest distributor of paperback books to the bookselling trade, is established in Warwick by WHSmith.

• WHSmith, by a programme of targeted acquisitions, establishes an office supplies division, WHSmith Business Supplies. Companies acquired are Pentagon Group, Satex, Sandhurst Marketing, Cartwright Brice, H J Chapman and W H Hayden.
• The bookshops of Bowes & Bowes, including City Centre Bookshops, Truslove & Hanson and Sherratt & Hughes are extended with the acquisition of a controlling interest in Waterstone's, forming Waterstone's Booksellers Ltd., the largest chain of specialist bookshops in the UK.
• WHSmith acquire Wee Three, 19 recorded music shops in Pennsylvania, USA.
WHSmith dispose of 86.5% shareholding in WHSmith Canada.