Where it all started
Established in 1792, WHSmith’s first store was opened by Henry Walton Smith and his wife Anna in Little Grosvenor Street, London. A few decades later, WHSmith opened the first ever travel retail store in London’s Euston station in 1848. Now celebrating over 230 years in business, WHSmith is a leading global travel retailer with over 1,200 stores across more than 30 countries.
2026
Leo Quinn is appointed Executive Chairman, effective 7 April 2026 (subject to shareholder approval).
2025
WHSmith sold it’s high street store estate to Modella Capital becoming a pure-play global travel retailer with locations across airports, railway stations, hospitals and other transport hubs, supporting customers on their journeys through life.
2024
WHSmith launches first ever own-brand food range ‘Smith’s Family Kitchen’ exclusively available across 300 WHSmith UK Travel stores. The new range marks the biggest investment in WHSmith’s food offer since introducing chilled food and drinks to Travel stores more than 10 years ago.
2023
WHSmith opens its flagship store at Birmingham Airport. At over 6000 sq ft, this is the largest WHSmith airport store in the UK to date and demonstrates the retailer’s unique one-stop-shop strategy in action. After opening in November 2023, Birmingham quickly became one of the top performing stores in the UK Travel estate and a blueprint for further one-stop-shop travel store rollouts.
2022
WHSmith celebrate their 230th anniversary and close the year in their strongest ever position as a global travel retailer, with a further 150 stores won and due to open across the globe.
2021
WHSmith announce they have won 30 new tech stores across UK airports under the InMotion brand, making them the largest tech retailer in travel locations globally.
2020
Covid-19 brings the world to a halt and has a significant impact on the WHSmith Group. Stores remain open to serve local communities, with hospital stores supporting frontline NHS workers. The Group donates thousands of product to key workers and good causes.
2019
Carl Cowling is appointed Group Chief Executive on 1 November 2019.
WHSmith announce acquisition of Marshall Retail Group (MRG), a fast-growing independent travel retailer operating in high footfall airport and tourist locations in the United States.
2018
WHSmith announces the acquisition of InMotion, a pure play travel retailer based in US airports, marking a significant step in WHSmith’s international travel growth strategy.
2017
WHSmith celebrates it’s 225th anniversary.
WHSmith Travel becomes the largest part of the Group in both revenue and profit.
WHSmith acquires Cultpens.com
2016
WHSmith Travel opens its 750th store.
2014
WHSmith opens its 100th international store.
2010
WHSmith acquires Funky Pigeon.
2007
WHSmith annouces it will open Post Offices in 71 High Street stores following a successful trial in 6 stores in 2006.
WHSmith Travel establish a strong presence in motorway service areas, opening franchise units in Moto and Welcome Break locations.
2006
Demerger of Retail and News Distribution businesses becomes effective with the creation of two separately listed entities - WH Smith PLC (formerly the Retail business) and Smiths News PLC (formerly WHSmith News).
2004
Hodder Headline, WHSmith's publishing business, is sold to Hachette Livre, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lagadere S.C.A.
2003
Kate Swann is appointed Group Chief Executive.
WHSmith announces the sale of its US Airport and Hotel retailing businesses for £41m and £8m respectively.
1999
WHSmith Online - www.whsmith.co.uk - is launched.
1997
UK Travel Retail is created as a separate business.
1995
WHSmith take the UK's first secure online order on 27 April. This is recognised as the start of online shopping in the UK by the IMRG.
1992
WHSmith Group celebrates its Bicentenary.
WHSmith Music Inc. acquires 59 stores from Record World and 20 stores from National Record Mart.
The Wall music retailer is formed
1986
WHSmith acquire Paperchase stationery stores.
WHSmith acquire Our Price Music, the recorded music chain.
1973
The iconic WHSmith brown and orange identity is developed.
1966
WHSmith creates the ISBN book identifier.
1949
WHSmith becomes a public company.
1939
More than 5,000 men and women from WHSmith join the forces for World War II.
1914
World War I sees more than 4,000 WHSmith employees serving their country. The new Head Office, Strand House in Portugal Street, is used as the Postal Censor’s office until 1920.
1903
The first overseas store opens in Paris on the prestigious Rue de Rivoli.
1895
A Pension Fund for manual workers is introduced.
1894
A superannuation Fund for clerical workers is founded.
1854
WHSmith & Son, now recognised as the principal newspaper distributor in the country, acquire wholesale distribution warehouses in Dublin, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool. A substantial network of newspaper distribution is established across the country.
1848
WHSmith opens its first bookstall at Euston on 1 November. Other station bookstalls follow taking advantage of 'railway mania' in England. These bookstalls become outlets for cheap editions of publications produced for railway travellers, the popular 'yellowbacks'.
1846
The enterprise changes its name to WHSmith & Son when William Henry's son, William Henry also, was taken into partnership on his 21st birthday. non tempor quam, et lacinia sapien. Mauris accumsan eros eget libero posuere vu.
1828
William Henry Smith, one of Anna and Henry’s sons left to run the business, was the more capable businessman of the two brothers and the business became known as WHSmith.
1792
Henry Walton Smith and his wife Anna opened a small newsvendors in Little Grosvenor Street, London. Henry Smith dies a few months later leaving Anna to run the business.
Anna goes into partnership with Zaccheus Coates. This lasts until his death in 1812.