WHSmith - WHAT DO YOU THINK?

WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD YOUR POLL RESPONSE?

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GinAg (39)

GinAg (39)

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Hard to believe we've never had a topic about this vital and always useful store. Want to add on a bottle of water and bar of Milka for just £8? Come on down to WH Smith, where the deals keep coming and the carpets are kept down with sellotape.
 
One of the worst places in the world. So overpriced off the High Street and still selling things that should have been discontinued about 20 years ago.

HOW IS IT THRIVING?
 
A good place to look at books before I decide to buy then for 6p on Kindle :(
 
OK for buying an emergency book before a long train journey. Utterly pointless for anything else.
 
Wait no I'm thinking of Waterstones. What DOES WHSmiths sell? Meal deals and headphone cables?
 
They shoved the town post office in ours and that kinda keeps it going. Who can resist, some obnoxiously priced stationery offers or a MURDER MAGAZINE on the way out?
 
Going with a 3/5. On the threat of a 3-4 week lockdown (ha!) in 2020 and not being sure whether home working would be possible at the time, I bought a few jigsaws in WH Smith, thinking of doing anything other than watching TV.

I loathe the fact that they hike up the prices of water during heatwaves, EVEN WHEN THEY DON’T HAVE WORKING FRIDGES :angry:
 
A very good meeting point when meeting friends because you know there'll always be one. Handy for picking up a twix and also the first place I dared to buy a GAY MAG so happy to have had that rite of passage there.
 
Ellie said:
Going with a 3/5. On the threat of a 3-4 week lockdown (ha!) in 2020 and not being sure whether home working would be possible at the time, I bought a few jigsaws in WH Smith, thinking of doing anything other than watching TV.

I loathe the fact that they hike up the prices of water during heatwaves, EVEN WHEN THEY DON’T HAVE WORKING FRIDGES :angry:
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Water at room temperature, helps your metabolism. They're just thinking of you.
 
Tisch said:
A very good meeting point when meeting friends because you know there'll always be one. Handy for picking up a twix and also the first place I dared to buy a GAY MAG so happy to have had that rite of passage there.
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I used to leaf through the gay mags and Music Week, back in the day.
 
Tisch said:
A very good meeting point when meeting friends because you know there'll always be one. Handy for picking up a twix and also the first place I dared to buy a GAY MAG so happy to have had that rite of passage there.
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My first gay mag was from a train station Smiths on my way back to uni
 
I gave Smiths the best years of my life, 1998-2003 in the book department.

I guess it stays alive because of station and airport markups, magazine selection and wedding stationery
 
Never forget

On 19 June 2009, WHSmith apologised after promoting a book on cellar rapist Josef Fritzl as one of the "Top 50 Books for Dad" as a Father's Day gift.
 
My first gay mag was an issue of Attitude from the massive and much-missed branch of Borders in Glasgow city centre. The cover star was Dame Philip Olivier, but that was every other issue back then let's face it :disco:
 
Ag said:
Never forget

On 19 June 2009, WHSmith apologised after promoting a book on cellar rapist Josef Fritzl as one of the "Top 50 Books for Dad" as a Father's Day gift.
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That poor cellar :(
 
Only time I’d ever go is in the airport and yes the drinks are always WARM. What is the point in the fridges if they don’t fucking work?!
 
I’ve had to go there for emergency greetings cards lately. Paperchase used to be best but they’re online only now, and have Clinton’s totally gone too? Not that they were any good. Scribbler is only good if you want something rude, but not so good for your aunties.
 
As for Smiths, I love it and think about it all the time OBVIOUSLY. I do resent that they're really the only place with a large variety of magazines these days, not that I ever buy any.
 
Ellie said:
I’ve had to go there for emergency greetings cards lately. Paperchase used to be best but they’re online only now, and have Clinton’s totally gone too? Not that they were any good. Scribbler is only good if you want something rude, but not so good for your aunties.
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We still have a branch of Paperchase. You poor brave Londoners.
 
Vaguely acceptable for a quick airport pick up or a last minute card, but otherwise SHITE.
 
Ag said:
Never forget

On 19 June 2009, WHSmith apologised after promoting a book on cellar rapist Josef Fritzl as one of the "Top 50 Books for Dad" as a Father's Day gift.
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Oh I remember at the height of the misery porn boom about ten years ago they used to run a section called TRAGIC LIVES, which always tickled me.
 
VoR said:
Oh I remember at the height of the misery porn boom about ten years ago they used to run a section called TRAGIC LIVES, which always tickled me.
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GERI_HALLIWELL_JUST%2BFOR%2BTHE%2BRECORD-641533.jpg
 
My first contact with/experience of WHSmith was when living in Paris; there is one on Rue Rivoli which is basically a huge bookstore and I used to spend a lot of time and money there. I didn’t realise that they sold other things until I went to UK.

I’ll give it a high rate based on the books and because our local equivalents (7-eleven and Pressbyrån) are a disgrace.
 
RaspberrySwirl said:
My first contact with/experience of WHSmith was when living in Paris; there is one on Rue Rivoli which is basically a huge bookstore and I used to spend a lot of time and money there. I didn’t realise that they sold other things until I went to UK.

I’ll give it a high rate based on the books and because our local equivalents (7-eleven and Pressbyrån) are a disgrace.
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This post makes me wonder if we've just got WHSmith all wrong and should appreciate what we've got.
 
We only have it at the airport nowadays. I used to love it for wrestling magazines though.
 
I can’t say I’ve been in one outside of an airport or train station in YEARS, but I do have very fond memories of going to the old one in Liverpool when I was little because they had a great toy section. I would often get my he-man figures there and pick out what I wanted for Christmas :disco:

Also when I was youngster working in town for the first time I would go and peruse the vast magazine racks (when they were still a thing), and I was always so excited on the day that one of the music mags was released and I would take it to McDonald’s and sit in there and spend lunch reading it from cover to cover

Fun times!

My only connection to WHSmith these days is the ridiculous shilling they do at the till. BUY TWENTY FIVE GIANT CHOCOLATE BARS AND GET THE LAST ONE HALF PRICE

Fuck off I came in for some GUM!
 
I do like a row at a Smiths (or a Boots) at the airport when I refuse to give my boarding pass over so they can avoid tax, so bonus points for that :disco:
 
Sheena said:
I do like a row at a Smiths (or a Boots) at the airport when I refuse to give my boarding pass over so they can avoid tax, so bonus points for that :disco:
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I never knew what that was for, I’m sure I went into one once years ago when they refused to serve me without it, I bet that’s not even LEGAL

OR it might have been boots. They’re both bad for it.
 
funky said:
I never knew what that was for, I’m sure I went into one once years ago when they refused to serve me without it, I bet that’s not even LEGAL

OR it might have been boots. They’re both bad for it.
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It's totally not legal.

If you're buying actual Duty Free stuff, then shops do need it, but Boots and Smiths don't take any of the tax off to the shopper, so they claim it back for themselves. Boots generally just go "ok, fine" now but Smiths are clearly trained to argue the point. They nearly always give in in the end, but I have walked away from a purchase before.
 
Ag said:
They shoved the town post office in ours and that kinda keeps it going. Who can resist, some obnoxiously priced stationery offers or a MURDER MAGAZINE on the way out?
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Yes our post office has been in WH Smith for quite a while now. I dread the rare occasions I need to go in and return a parcel. Always understaffed and generally looks a right state.

I used to make the odd music or magazine purchase but as a child I always preferred John Menzies.
 
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