Fri, 20 Apr 2012

Retailer WHSmith is to open 20 overseas shops and 17 new ‘travel’ outlets in the UK and abroad – with a large number of new jobs to result.

‘Travel’ units are smaller retail outlets in locations such as airports, motorway service areas and hospitals.

The announcement comes in the firm’s results announcement for the six months ending 29 February, which show group profit from trading operations up 3% to £74m. The firm operates nearly 1,200 regular and ‘travel’ units, employing 16,000 people in total – at an average of just under 14 people per store.

The overseas units are franchised, and while the openings are “agreed and confirmed”, a spokesperson at the firm tells Recruiter there are no set opening dates, but they will commence operations within the next two years.

The new overseas stores come in the following locations: India (eight stores), Australia, Dubai, Fiji, Gibraltar, Qatar and Saudi Arabia (all two stores each).

All recruitment for UK jobs will be done through its own online careers site for UK jobs.