Innovation
WHSmith has a very strong competitive edge due to its widespread global sourcing network, direct from factories and from major aspirational international brands.
This network, coupled with our market-leading in-house design team based in the UK and a sourcing team of 30 people in Hong Kong and Shanghai, allows us to produce high quality own brand products in stationery, travel and digital essentials.
Our fashion stationery collections anticipate global creative direction and are injected with continued innovation with designs based on worldwide trends.
We tailor our product ranges to specific markets and create products with broad appeal catering for every customer, from basic pen and pad products, to premium gift ranges. We continually refresh our collections, introducing new products, materials and specifications along with exclusive illustrations and pattern design.
Paper and card-based products are a core part of our business and we need to ensure that these materials are sourced sustainably. We use pulp from recycled or certified sources in all our own-brand stationery products, and we have a long-standing programme to ensure that all virgin materials used in our products are from known, legal, well-managed and credibly-certified forests.
Travel and digital essentials have been the fastest growing category for WHSmith in airports over the last few years. As part of this we have developed our own brand products under the Destination Travel brand. This covers core travel essentials including travel adaptors, travel pillows and luggage locks. Our own brand label has been growing from strength to strength since its inception.
Our Quality and Assurance team ensure that all our own brand products are safe, fit for purpose and compliant with regulations in any market in which we operate. In addition to high standards of manufacturing, we ensure fair treatment of suppliers and their employees through our Responsible Sourcing Standards policy.
We have a wide range of wholesaling opportunities and offer WHSmith designed fashion and core stationery available for distribution in international markets. For further information about our products and wholesale opportunities please contact our Business Development team - Andrew.Thomas@whsmith.co.uk.