It went from being a much-loved part of every British high street to gaining a reputation for disorganised stock, tatty interiors and rip-off prices.
WHSmith is in its 'strongest ever position as a global travel retailer,' according to Chief executive Carl Cowling, with the UK travel business increasing its trading profit by nearly a fifth. But WHSmith - which first opened in 1792 - was voted Britain's worst or second worst high street retailer for nine straight years from 2011 to 2019, in a poll conducted by consumer watchdog Which?
Customers became exacerbated by the chain's declining state, with its seemingly random stock, shabby carpets and disorderly presentationA WHSmith delivery van is seen in 1899, more than a century after the first store opened