WH Smith reopens shops under British Bookshops deal

The Bookseller - 28.03.11 - Lisa Campbell

Seventeen former British Bookshop & Stationers stores have held their first weekend of trade under W H Smith ownership.
Nine venues opened their doors as W H Smith stores and eight re-opened under their original name of British Bookshops & Stationers.

Those keeping their BB&S frontage sold range books at 15% discount and all chart books at £4.99. The new W H Smith stores were governed by nationwide offers of 75% off on all the books in a Mothers' Day promotion and others at buy one get one half price.

A spokesperson for W H Smith said: “We are very pleased to be bringing a broad range of products and services to these local communities.”

W H Smith acquired 22 stores previously run by BB&S in a £1m deal in February, saving 200 jobs. BB&S, which had 51 stores mainly based in the south west, went into administration in January. Administrators Zolfo Cooper is still looking for buyers for the remaining venues and 100 people have been made redundant in the process.

Stores that opened as W H Smith stores on Saturday (26 March):

Southwick
Teddington
Littlehampton
Brighton
Reigate
Rustington
Lancing
Shoreham
Hailsham

Stores that re-opened as British Bookshops and Stationers:
Hove
Bexhill
Bognor
Tunbridge Wells
Sevenoaks
Lewes
Crowborough
Dorking