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W H Smith High Street shops in York, Preston and some other locations have undergone a rebrand, as the retailer is trialling the logo "WHS" by removing its founder’s surname "Smith" from the label.
Ten stores are trialling the logo formatted in a white font, set against a blue background. The new sign has been compared to the logo of the National Health Service (NHS), which features a similar design.
It is not yet certain whether this will become a more permanent rebrand or if other stores will take on the new logo. The trial is an attempt to create a more localised offering, with the aim of highlighting the range of products sold by the retailer. Many customers took to social media to express their confusion at the new signage.
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— Lewis Middleton (@lewmidds) December 22, 2023
In its preliminary results released in November 2023, W H Smith reported that High Street revenue was down 1% to £469m, with profit having dropped from £45m in 2022 to £42m for the year ending August 2023. Meanwhile, overall revenue was up 28%, with headline profit before tax up 96% to £143m, bolstered by W H Smith’s Travel business.
The retailer saw significant changes in 2023, bringing together the buyers for its Travel and High Street divisions and appointing Lucy Swinburn as the group trading director for books.
In the summer, c.e.o. Carl Cowling explained that W H Smith would not open new High Street shops and Swinburn has said that the retailer’s focus is on improving the offering of existing stores.