WHSmith leans on travel business with pre-Covid growth

Retailer WHSmith finally got back to growth this Christmas after years of depressed sales during the Covid pandemic. The company said its travel business has reached its “strongest ever position” with revenue 41 per cent higher over the 20 weeks to 14 January compared to the same period a year earlier. But the difference between the “strongest ever” travel unit was stark next to WHSmith’s high street shops, which struggled in recent weeks with sales down 2 per cent compared to the year before.

(PA) T he retai l er’s sa l es rose by more than 40% during the 20 weeks to the midd l e of January