The name WH Smith will disappear from UK high streets following the sale of the firm’s shops.
One of the most recognisable names in British retail, WH Smith has been a staple of UK towns since the Victorian era.
But now, the brand will no chain will be rebranded as TGJones after the company sold its shops to Hobbycraft-owner Modella Capital in a £76m sale.
The WH Smith will still appear in stores at airports, railway stations and hospitals though, as these outlets were not sold in the deal.
The new owners will also keep the Post Office outlets that operate in a number of WH Smith high street branches.
Modella Capital will take over the high street stores though, along with those in retail parks and shopping centres, totalling more than 480 branches and 5,000 staff.
Modella has not commented on whether any jobs will be cut, the BBC reports.
The new name of TGJones was chosen because it carried “the same sense of family” as WH Smith, Modella said.
The first WH Smith’s opened in London in 1792, with its first travel retail store opening at Euston Station in 1848. From then on, the company boomed and expanded rapidly in the post-war years.
By the start of the 2000s, the brand became commonplace on high streets across the UK.
However, like many businesses, WH Smith has suffered in recent years as the high street continues to struggle.
The company will now focus entirely on its travel division, which operates more than 1,200 stores in 32 countries.
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