Former WHSmith high street stores business in trouble but can be turned around, says TG Jones CEO
The new boss of TG Jones has taken to social media to discuss the struggles of the high street business previously owned by WHSmith. This comes as Modella Capital, which bought the 450-store chain less than a year ago and rebranded it as TG Jones, seeks creditor approval for a restructuring plan after an underwhelming period of trading under its ownership.
Alex Willson said in a LinkedIn post that since taking over as CEO he has found a team that is “both talented and committed...at our support centre, in our stores and in our DC; but I've also found a business that, let's just say, has its challenges. While we are working hard to get our restructuring plan approved and secure the future of this business, we aren't short of ideas in how to turn around the business. But can TG Jones be turned around? It won't be easy...but it absolutely can!”
Plans include relaying the stores: “right sizing categories, lowering fixtures to open up sightlines, cutting the clutter, and doubling down on our best sellers. The early trials are working, and we're rolling this out to as many as possible before the peak trading period.”
Bringing stores back to life will include LED lighting to brighten dark spaces, working lifts, repaired ceilings, refreshed flooring, and a good old fashioned coat of paint. “We know our stores need more than a cosmetic fix - but we start here, and we keep going.”
TG Jones is also reintroducing store managers into top locations - “something that we currently have none of! We are increasing the number of area managers so that no one colleague is solely responsible for 75 stores (yes, 75). And we are putting more hours into stores to better serve both colleagues and our customers.”
Other plans include fairer pricing (“we are no longer tied to WHSmith airport and rail pricing. High street prices are coming down. Simple as that”) and new categories (“since stepping out from under the WHSmith fascia, the customer feedback on what they want to see in a TG Jones store has been genuinely exciting. Watch this space”).
Willson concluded: “The business has genuine talent, real potential, and is well worth saving! If we can get through this restructuring, and beyond, then the road to recovery is there for the taking...”
SOLUM
WHSmith and SOLUM have announced a partnership involving the deployment of electronic shelf label (ESL) solutions across WHSmith’s UK travel estate, starting with high footfall locations including the retailer’s recently opened flagship stores at Heathrow Airport.
To support the roll-out, WHSmith has selected Newton PRO, SOLUM’s flagship ESL designed for demanding retail environments such as airports, railway stations and major transport hubs.
Heidi Reynolds, Retail Director at WHSmith, says: “Our focus is on making every journey better by bringing together all of the essentials travellers need in one place. As we continue to evolve our offer, the ESL solutions help us support a clearer and more intuitive customer experience while enabling colleagues to operate more efficiently in busy travel environments.”
Mark Duckworth, Country Manager UK & Ireland at SOLUM, says: “WHSmith’s new flagship stores reflect the continued evolution of travel retail, where convenience, speed and clarity are essential to the customer journey. We are proud to support WHSmith with ESL solutions designed for high footfall environments, helping improve shelf-edge accuracy, operational efficiency and the in-store experience across key travel locations. This partnership is an important milestone for SOLUM as we continue to strengthen our presence in the UK travel retail market.”
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
ESLs will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
