WH Smith has launched its first own-brand food range in over 300 of its Travel stores across the UK.
The ‘Smith’s Family Kitchen’ food-to-go offer consists of over 30 products, including sandwiches, salads, wraps, and baguettes. The retailer noted that the branding, design, packaging, and product had been developed using feedback from over one thousand shoppers.
The range covers “family favourites and punchy flavours alongside other delicious and healthy choices”. New lines include a Hochujang Korean BBQ chicken wrap with pickled slaw and a New Yorker-inspired sandwich made with salt beef. WH Smith has also introduced new vegetarian and vegan products, such as a falafel and hummus wrap and a Mexican burrito bowl. All the new lines are included in its meal deal offer.
UK Travel is the largest division in WH Smith, with 590 stores across airports, railway stations and hospitals. The retailer recently reported strong growth for UK Travel in the first half of the year, driven by its strategy to transform from a news, books and convenience retailer to a “one-stop-shop for travel essentials”.
WH Smith noted that it has already seen strong customer responses to the rollout of its one-stop-shop format in its larger stores, including London Heathrow, London Gatwick, and most recently Birmingham Airport, with expanded health & beauty, tech, and more food-to-go ranges. It is planning to roll out the format to more stores across its UK Travel estate, as well as new store openings.
“We’re on a mission to offer time-pressed customers all their travel essentials under one roof with a fast and convenient shopping experience,” said Andrew Harrison, Managing Director of the UK Travel division.
“With millions of customers turning to WH Smith each year to fuel their journeys, we’re making our biggest investment in WH Smith’s food offer since we first started offering chilled food and drinks in our Travel stores more than 10 years ago, with the launch of a new and delicious food-to-go range.
“Working with a team of chefs to tailor our range and ensure we’re using the best quality ingredients has been fantastic, and the team has done an excellent job with the look and feel of the new brand – it’s a really exciting time for the business.”
NAM Implications:
- Given that Travel is its biggest and most active division…
- …anticipate a fast and comprehensive roll-out of this WHSmith food-to-go offering.
- i.e. they will attempt to optimise its full potential.
- Time for suppliers in appropriate categories to climb aboard now…
- …unless they prefer to allow rivals to show the way.