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WHS claims strong start to 2008

23.04.08 Graeme Neill

W H Smith's 2% growth in like-for-like book sales over the six months to end-February was driven by an expanded wall chart highlighting top paperbacks, according to business unit director Rachel Russell.

Russell said that the growth, which came against a backdrop of a 3% fall in like-for-like sales at WHS's main high street shops, was spurred by the decision to highlight the top 150 paperbacks. "It acts as a recommendation for customers and helps with merchandising," she said. The travel wing of the business also introduced a top 100 chart during the same trading period. "The reason they work is because of the time. It's a really fast recommendation and customers don't have time to browse in a travel environment."

Speaking after WHS' released its interim results last week, Russell claimed that the retailer had made a good start to 2008 with strong performances during Mother's Day and Easter. She said that summer would depend on the strength of the Richard and Judy list but referred to The Return by Victoria Hislop as being one of the retailer's tips. "It was very favourable for us last year because it was so wet. It does make a big difference to sales."

Russell said Christmas sales performance was "very strong" and claimed market share of around 40% for both Richard Hammond and Sharon Osbourne's autobiographies. She said that a Christmas list driven by biographies would be good for the retailer as it's a genre in which they have had a strong market share in the past.

Russell said that the retailer envisaged further growth in the travel wing, after last week announcing that it was acquiring 23 units in 11 airports from Alpha Retail with a further eight units to open in airports later this year. "I think the way that market is going, we should see some good growth over the next few years."

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