A number of WH Smith shops are set to be rebranded in the north and north-east.
The retail giant has agreed to sell all 500 of its High Street shops, which employ around 5,000 people, in a £76 million deal.
The 233-year-old British retailer has reached a deal to sell the chain to Modella Capital, which will see the stores rebranded as TGJones.
WH Smith’s CEO, Carl Cowling, said the brand will now focus solely on its “highly successful travel business.”
Full list of WH Smith stores to be rebranded as TG Jones across Highlands and Aberdeenshire
The company has been shifting away from town centres in recent years, turning its focus on its much more lucrative travel brand, which accounts for 75% of its revenue.
There are 11 WH Smith stores across Aberdeenshire and the Highlands.
These include five shops in Aberdeen and three in Inverness.
The full list of WH Smith shops to be rebranded as TG Jones in the Highlands and Aberdeenshire include:
- St Nicholas Centre, Aberdeen
- High Street, Banchory
- Marischal Street, Peterhead
- High Street, Inverness
- Tweeddale, Fort William
The stores that will still trade under the WH Smith name, which include the travel business along with airports, rail stations and motorway services, are:
- Aberdeen Railway Station, Aberdeen
- Aberdeen Bus Station, Aberdeen
- Aberdeen Airport, Aberdeen
- Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Aberdeen
- Inverness Railway Station, Inverness
- Inverness Airport, Inverness
WH Smith name erased from all High Street stores
Carl Cowling, WH Smith CEO, said: “As we continue to deliver on our strategic ambition to become the leading global travel retailer, this is a pivotal moment for WH Smith as we become a business exclusively focused on Travel.
“As we look forward as a simplified, travel-focused Group, I am excited about the Group’s future prospects.”
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