I walked past our local WHSmith yesterday and honestly felt a pang of something between nostalgia and dread. The windows plastered with those garish "EVERYTHING MUST GO" signs in neon yellow. God. Another piece of my childhood disappearing.
The stationery giant is shutting stores faster than I can keep track of, with some closing their doors in literally DAYS from now. After flogging nearly 500 of its high street locations, they're closing up to 20 shops in teh coming weeks.
The Countdown to Extinction
First on teh chopping block? Halstead and Woolwich - both gone by this Saturday (April 12th). I texted my cousin who lives near Halstead and she's already planning to raid the place tomorrow. "75% off everything!" she wrote back with way too many exclamation marks.
If you're anywhere near these locations, you might wanna sprint over there before the vultures pick everything clean.
Here's when the other stores are getting the axe:
Halesowen and Diss are next (April 19th), followed by Newport and Haverhill (April 26th). Then Oldham goes down May 3rd, Stockton on May 17th, and Doncaster's West Mall location on May 31st. Bedford gets a stay of execution until July 5th.
I spent £18 at the Newport one back in January on birthday cards. Probably the last time I'll ever shop there.
Where Have All the Bargains Gone?
Several of these doomed locations are running massive clearance sales right now. My brother-in-law works near the Halesowen branch and says it's like watching piranhas attack - 75% off and shelves emptying by the hour.
Newport, Haverhill, Stockton, and Oldham are offering 50% off. Not quite as desperate yet, but give it time.
The Grim Reaper's Already Been Busy
This isn't even the beginning. Ten WHSmith stores have already disappeared this year, including locations in Bournemouth, Luton, March, Basingstoke, Long Eaton, Newtown, Winton, Rhyl, Bolton, and Accrington.
Listen. I'm not usually sentimental about retail chains, but there's something about this one that hits different.
233 Years Down the Drain
WHSmith has been a fixture on British high streets since 1792. Let that sink in. The shop was selling newspapers when Napoleon was still causing trouble.
Now? The remaining 480 high street stores have been sold off to Hobbycraft owner Modella Capital for £76 million. At least that saved about 5,000 jobs... for now.
The real kick in the teeth? The WHSmith name is vanishing completely from our high streets. They're rebranding everything to "TGJones" - which sounds like a made-up shop you'd see in a low-budget TV drama.
Airports and Hospitals: The Last Refuge
You'll still find WHSmith in airports, train stations and hospitals - where they can continue charging £3.50 for a bottle of water because you're literally captive. I paid nearly £4 for a small packet of Paracetamol at Gatwick last summer. Highway robbery, but I was desperate.
Another One Bites the Dust
WHSmith isn't alone in this retail bloodbath. Remember when Wilko collapsed? That felt like losing a distant relative you only saw at Christmas but still kinda liked.
Even Poundland's future looks shaky, with owner Pepco hiring advisors to oversee selling the business. Back in 2018, I would've laughed if you'd told me Poundland might disappear. Not anymore.
Between inflation, online shopping, and all of us counting pennies during this never-ending cost of living nightmare, the high street feels like a ghost at a family reunion - present but fading away before our eyes.
I'll probably pop into Woolwich tomorrow, just to say goodbye. And maybe grab some pens at 75% off. I'm sentimental, not stupid.
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Statistics
- As of 2021, the average student loan debt for recent graduates was approximately $30,000, according to the Federal Reserve.
- As of 2021, the median household income in the U.S. was approximately $67,521, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
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- A study by the National Endowment for Financial Education found that 60% of Americans do not have a budget.
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