WH Smith has said a rebound in the global travel market and a resurgent performance on the high street helped it to swing back to profit.
The Swindon-headquartered retailer posted headline pre-tax profits of £61m for the year to August 31 against losses of £104m the previous year, when Covid-19 restrictions impacted its chain of stores including those in travel hubs worldwide.
WH Smith said its travel business sales had surged past pre-pandemic levels amid a steep rise in summer holidaymakers, 130% of 2019 revenue in the second half, or 92% on a like-for-like basis.
