WH Smith has said its global travel retail business is in its “strongest ever position” as improving passenger numbers following the Covid-19 pandemic continue to drive growth.
In a trading update for the five months to January 14, the Swindon-headquartered retailer reported total group revenue was up around 40% on the same period a year earlier and by a fifth on pre-pandemic levels.
The announcement to shareholders, which did not include financial figures, said this was driven by a more than three-quarter rise in revenue at its shops in airports, hospitals and railways stations around the world, including a 70% rise at UK transport hubs. UK Airport sales in particular saw an increase of around 130%.
