Up to 150 former WH Smith stores are expected to close as part of the company’s restructuring plans, according to multiple reports. The closures are described as part of a wider effort to reshape the business, and the reporting indicates that hundreds of jobs could be affected. The Evening Standard says hundreds of jobs at the stores are at risk in connection with the restructuring.
The Independent reports that the company links the decision to wider external pressures. It says the business describes the closures as a “direct result of government policy and recent geopolitical events.” Together, the sources present a picture of cost and demand pressures leading to store rationalisation, with employment impacts concentrated in affected locations.
While the articles differ slightly in emphasis—one focusing on the likely number of closures and job risks, and the other highlighting the stated reasons tied to government policy and geopolitical developments—they agree on the core points: significant store closures are planned and this is expected to lead to substantial job losses.
