Following today’s release of WH Smith’s figures for the 13 weeks ending 31st May 2025; Tash Van Boxel, retail analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers her view: “WH Smith has retained its momentum in Q3 FY2024/25, with total travel revenue rising 5% as consumers continue to prioritise going away. WH Smith’s pivot to focus solely on its travel division is a smart move, with the sale of its high street arm due to complete at the end of June, meaning that group revenue performance will no longer be weighed down by this fascia. UK travel has maintained steady growth, with revenue rising 5%, while the rest of the world experienced a 9% uplift, partly driven by its expansion in this territory as well as recovering passenger numbers. As the summer months approach, WH Smith will benefit from consumer confidence slowly improving, as more UK consumers are intending to spend on holidays over the next six months, according to GlobalData’s leisure spending index. This will provide a welcome boost to passenger numbers and footfall across its travel hubs.
“The UK travel division experienced 6% like-for-like growth during the period, supported by strong performances across both air and rail (up 7% and 6% respectively on a l-f-l basis). This performance highlights the positive response towards the new one-stop-shop formats that WH Smith is implementing via refurbishments. Improving the food & grocery offer will have been a significant reason for this, as consumers indulge in the Smith’s Family Kitchen food ranges instore and in cafés. WH Smith must introduce its café to more travel hubs, following its trial in a hospital and airport, to stand out from key airport competitor Boots, and to further support retail sales in these locations. Hospitals should be prioritised for the café roll outs, as these locations house a less diverse selections of cafés and restaurants compared to travel hubs.”
