Sue and I visited Cheltenham yesterday and I popped into W H Smiths to check out the latest magazine offering.
Is it just me or has W H Smiths cut back on the amount and variety of magazines on offer? There were no military modelling magazines or wargame magazines on display and the amount of shelf space was a fraction of what I remember.
I'm not sure if this is just restricted to the Cheltenham store or if this is a country wide phenomenon.
What do you think? Is your W H Smiths cutting back on the selection?
Tony
No one reads magazines anymore. They are expensive and mostly of not much interest. Last time I bought a wargames magazine was August 2023. My better half has not bought a craft magazine for years.
ReplyDeleteWHSmith have always had a policy of deciding the range of magazines stocked at their branches. Even when I worked for them as much as 30 years ago the magazine had to reach a limited number of issues to maintain its place. Unfortunately, the way WHS are currently closing down branches of their retail arm while concentrating on transport hubs (railway stations and airports) it will soon be difficult to find minority titles anywhere on the high street.
ReplyDeleteHardly anyone buys magazines anymore
ReplyDeleteMagazines are too expensive and peoples hobby budgets are not what they were.
ReplyDeleteThere is no doubt that magazines are expensive but with W H Smiths being the main newsagent and therefore main retail outfit in the UK the decision to cut back on the amount that they display must also be having an effect. I'm not a great purchaser of new magazines but do occasionally pick up a copy - mainly because my Mother sends me W H Smiths vouchers for Christmas and my birthday.
ReplyDeleteWH Smiths look to be selling their high street stores. I am guessing the profit in stocking lots of magazines that no one hardly buys now does not make great business sense. The shop is very expensive for just about everything.
DeleteI don't buy magazines very often due to (very) limited budget but do enjoy the occasional one if it has a particular interview / feature etc. Weirdly I actually dreamed about looking for magazines in Smiths last night... they'd moved them near the front door for some reason :)
ReplyDeleteI cannot remember the last time I bought a wargames magazine. It might have been WI years ago for a Congo scenario.
ReplyDeleteBreaking News..... Earlier this week there were newspaper reports that WHSmiths were to sell off/close all of their high street stores and just keep the railway and airport shops. Could this be the end of paper magazines?
ReplyDelete