WH Smith is a name which goes hand in hand with travel and has done so since its founding in London in 1792. This year, the company has seen its revenue grow despite worldwide financial difficulties, largely thanks to an increase in passenger numbers.

The international retailer has reported strong summer trading and expects that the year to 31st of August 2023 will follow upgraded trends discovered during its third quarter.

The group has seen an impressive 28.1% increase in revenue compared to 2022, which has been supported by an increase in travel of 42.1%. An increase in passenger numbers during the company’s latter period of 2022 was seen following the Omicron variant during the first half of 2022 and led to an increase in travel numbers as life began its return to normal.

WH Smith has also revealed that it has also benefited due to in-store strategy seeing strong Average Transaction Value growth alongside further enhancements achieved through broadening categories, especially in health, beauty and technology alongside the sale of food.

In the UK, the company reported an ongoing increase in passenger numbers, especially in peak season, which has supported its recovery seen in the second half of 2022. The company’s hospital channel is also reporting positive performance alongside its rail channel despite ongoing industrial action. Across the UK, WHSmith has also opened 20 new stores, 8 of which are within hospitals, with 15 new stores expected to open before its year-end in 2024.