A HIGH street giant has launched a huge “everything must go” sale – with the beloved chain expected to shut 19 sites this year.
Heartbroken shoppers are mourning the loss of a staple store – which is slowly exiting the UK after 233 years of business.
WHSmith in Clapham Common is closing down – leaving regular customers devastated at the news.
A poster on the shop windows says the store is offering up to 30 per cent on books and stationery.
It comes amid of WHSmith closures across the UK as part of a major rebranding strategy.
Earlier this month, Bradford’s The Broadway underwent a huge rebranding as part of the company’s anticipated makeover.
The popular shop, located between Poundland and the Food Court, also housed a Post Office.
But it shut for good on October 11.
In July, the WHSmith in Bury also shut down as part of the move.
The stationery giant has been a feature of the British high street since the 1800s but has fallen on hard times in recent years.
Hobbycraft owner Modella Capital agreed a deal to take over the chain’s troubled high street arm back in March.
As part of the deal, all 464 remaining high street stores are rebranding to TGJones.
The sale has now officially completed and the WHSmith website has rebranded, while all stores are listed on Google as TGJones.
Some shoppers have already spotted signs going up in stores reading “Thank you for shopping at TGJones.”
Modella put in planning applications to local councils to change the signage on its stores last month.
Shoppers have also started receiving emails from TGJones.
One confused customer wrote on social media: “I got an email from TG Jones thinking how? Then realised its WHSmith’s new name, crazy.”
Another added: “I keep getting emails from someone called TG Jones and it was apparently a company that has changed its name, it was failing to tell me what company…just had another one and it’s WHSmith??? WHAT.”
Other customers have expressed sadness at the loss of the iconic retailer from Britain’s high streets.
One wrote: “New generation will never experience the feeling of going to WHSmith in your Year 6 summer holidays and building a pencil case from scratch and picking all your stationary for Year 7.”
Another sad shopper added: “I did my school shopping every year at WHSmith since reception, same with my sister too, this is so sad.”
While a third nostalgic punter wrote: “My parents met working at WHSmith and they’ve been married 30 years.”
History of WHSmith
THE rebranding means the WHSmith name will be disappearing from the high street for good.
WHSmith’s travel stores will still remain in airports, hospitals, railway stations and motorway service areas as these have not been taken over by Modella.
The first WHSmith store was opened back in 1792 was opened by Henry Walton Smith and his wife Anna.
It was located in Little Grosvenor Street, London and was initially a news vendor.
When Henry and Anna died, the business was taken over by their youngest son William Henry Smith.
He renamed the business WH Smith & Son in 1846.
The business began expanding around this time and opened its first railway news stand at Euston Station in 1848.
It opened its first depots two years later in Birmingham, Manchester, and Liverpool.
WH Smith & Son continued to be passed down by the family before becoming a limited company in 1928, with all shares owned by the third Viscount.
The company became a public limited business in 1948, with staff and members of the public taking shares.
The business expanded hugely between the 1970s and 1990s, and during this time changed its name to simply WHSmith.
The last member of the Smith family left the board in 1996.
Over the years, the brand has sold a variety of products including everything from vinyl records to DVDs and computer games.
But it has always been best known for its wide variety of books, stationery, and sweets.
In more recent years, WHSmith has struggled on the high street – although its travel sales have surged.
The company confirmed in January it would sell off its high street business.
Modella then snapped up WHSmith’s high street stores after an auction process.
