HMV owner in talks to snap up WH Smith high street stores
HMV owner in talks to snap up WH Smith high street stores
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THE owner of HMV is considering a swoop on WHSmith’s unwanted 500 high street stores, The Sun can reveal. It is understood that advisers working for WHSmith have been in discussions with Doug Putman, the Canadian entrepreneur who rescued HMV from bankruptcy in 2019.
![[Interior of a WHSmith store.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2025-british-retailer-whsmith-said-966521749.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
WHSmith has confirmed that it is considering offloading its entire high street estate in order to focus on its fast-growing travel business of shops in airports and train stations. The retailer, which first opened its stores in the UK 232 years ago, is working with advisers at Greenhill Investment Boutique.
It is hoped that a deal can be reached within three months, according to sources. Mr Putman will have to fend off competition from other bidders including restructuring firms Alteri and Hilco. Modella Capital, which recently bought Paperchase and Jigsaw, has also been linked to a purchase by Sky News.
Analysts at AJ Bell also suggested that The Range’s owner could also be “a name to watch” as it is one of the few “retailers hungry for more, having last year bought the Homebase brand and up to 70 stores”. Last October Mr Putman told The Sun that he would “love to buy more businesses in the UK”. Mr Putman also tried to buy Ted Baker and Wilko.
A takeover of WH Smith’s stores by HMV could see a return to more records and CDs sold in WH Smith shops and a potential cross-over between the two brands. HMV’s most recent accounts reveal that its sales rose by 18 per cent to £177 million while pre-tax profits doubled to £5.2 million. The firm has been helped by a vinyl revival.
