WH Smith to expand Irish airport presence through electrical goods retail brand

WH Smith is to expand its InMotion electrical goods chain in Ireland.

British newsagent retailer WH Smith will open two more Irish airport stores early this year.

The openings will be via its InMotion electrical goods retail chain brand, which it acquired in 2018 and which is the largest airport-based electrical goods chain in North America.

The company said it was “on track” to open its first two InMotion stores at Dublin Airport in the spring.

The group has opened 16 InMotion stores in UK airports – including Heathrow and Stansted in London – and said initial reaction, from customers and landlords, had been “very positive”.

WH Smith already has eponymous newsagent shops in Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports, which form part of its travel division.

In a trading update, WH Smith said total group revenue – for the 20 weeks to January 15 – was 85% of pre-Covid 2019 sales. Revenue across its travel division was 83% of 2019 levels.

Relatively early on in the Covid crisis, WH Smith stated its commitment to its Irish travel shops despite restrictions wiping out a massive portion of income over the last two years.