TWO British high street giants are locked in a battle to take over WHSmith.
The move comes weeks after it was revealed that the 233-year-old retailer’s holding company was looking to offload its 500 UK shops.
The iconic chain is a high street stalwart, having served customers since 1792.
But, like many major chains, it has struggled to adapt to the changing high street climate.
Now, two rival groups are gearing up to take over the retailer.
The first is Alteri, which owns Bensons for Beds and made headlines when it took control of Missguided in 2021.
However, Missguided was on the “brink of collapse” just a year later and eventually went into administration.
It was later bought out by the Frasers Group.
The other company is Modella, which owns Hobbycraft and The Original Factory shop.
A definitive deal will likely be announced when WHSmith’s interim results are revealed in April.
After offloading their 500 high street shops, the brand is reportedly hoping to focus on its more lucrative travel retailers.
WHSmith is extremely popular in busy airports, railway stations and hospitals.
It has 1,200 of these stores globally.
The retailer has already shut several of its stores this year as it begins to make the transition.
Ten of its UK high street shops have been earmarked for closure in 2025, with locations ranging from London to Durham.
WHSmith has been contacted for comment.