WHSmith rebrands to TGJones across UK high streets

National World - LocalTV

WHSmith is now TGJones, and River Island is closing dozens of stores—including one in Sutton Coldfield. From Birmingham city centre, we ask shoppers how they feel about the names vanishing from their high street.

Transcript

00:01WH Smith isn't WH Smith anymore. A name that's been on British streets for over two centuries

00:07has now vanished from hundreds of high street stores, replaced by something no one recognises, TG Jones.

00:14It's a rebrand born out of a buyout, not identity. The name was sold off and with it, a sense of continuity.

00:20In its place, a label that feels deliberately generic, not local, not legacy, just unremarkable.

00:27On the surface, the shop still stocks similar items, but for a lot of people, the name meant trust, nostalgia, even routine.

00:35Now that it's gone, rebranded, faceless, unfamiliar, does it still feel like the same shop?

00:40Oh, no. Oh, goodness. No, they just took two letters and another surname. I don't really know why they did that.

00:46But WH Smith is so iconic. You know what I mean?

00:49You're in the airport, you go there to get your stationery. I'm not going to get here. What is it called?

00:53TG Jones. TG here now. I don't find myself walking in front of TG Jones any time soon, you know?

00:58It's a bit of a strange thing to do. I mean, I wouldn't, I wouldn't shop in there anyway, because I found it very expensive.

01:06But a bit like Coca-Cola changing its name to a random thing.

01:12I mean, I guess it's just the name, so it's not going to be that different. But WH Smith is kind of iconic.

01:17So I think it's got that brand name recognition and people, people know Smiths, you know?

01:24It doesn't really bother me to be honest with you. Yeah. Yeah. There's no change to me anyway. Yeah.

01:34It's not just WH Smith. River Island is slashing stores too.

01:3933 confirmed closures. Another 71 under review.

01:43In Birmingham, the Sutton Coalfield branch is already set to go.

01:46But across the UK, the store is the same. Rising costs. Falling profits.

01:51Landlords unwilling to budge. Jobs are on the line and so are the habits of thousands of shoppers.

01:57For years, stores like WH Smith and River Island gave people a reason to come into town. They were reliable.

02:04Now, that familiarity is slipping and the high street feels like it's thinning out.

02:09So do people still shop at these places? And if not, what's taking their place?

02:16I think it's just a name, it doesn't really matter to be honest.

02:18Even though it's a high street staple, when was the last time you walked into WH Smith?

02:22Part of me thinks it's a money laundering spot, you know, don't hold me to that, but...

02:25No, I think it's iconic. Like, you're supposed to be on the high street.

02:28Like, you're going in when you were little to get your stationery bits and your books for school.

02:32I'm not going to be like, oh yeah, I'm going to go to 2J, whatever.

02:35And one of those WH Smith is so classic. And the high street's dying already.

02:38It's just like another piece that's gone.

02:40That's true. I hear that.

02:42I didn't really shop at River Island, but I definitely shopped at WH Smith.

02:46And I have also noticed quite a difference on the high streets.

02:51Like, lots of shops closed. Lots of places that, yeah, are just shut down now, like Peacocks and stuff.

02:58Like, lots of shops, you just said, like, black streets.

03:01Like, lots of shops in there.

03:08Yeah, that's hats to kind of the rib.

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