Up to 150 former WH Smith stores to close as high court approves restructure

The Guardian Business Wednesday 01 July 2026, 10:57 UTC By Sarah Butler 1 min read

Key Points

Restructuring plan involves writing off debts to suppliers and cutting rent for many landlordsBusiness live – latest updatesUp to 150 former WH Smith high street stores are to close after the high court approved a swingeing restructure that could affect thousands of jobs. The books to paperclips retailer, which has 450 stores and employs about 5,000 staff, was bought by the private equity firm Modella Capital, which also owns Hobbycraft, last year and rebranded TG Jones.

Restructuring plan involves writing off debts to suppliers and cutting rent for many landlords

Business live – latest updates

Up to 150 former WH Smith high street stores are to close after the high court approved a swingeing restructure that could affect thousands of jobs.

The books to paperclips retailer, which has 450 stores and employs about 5,000 staff, was bought by the private equity firm Modella Capital, which also owns Hobbycraft, last year and rebranded TG Jones.

WH Smith (ORG) Modella Capital (ORG) Hobbycraft (ORG) TG Jones (PERSON)

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Up to 150 former WH Smith stores to close as high court approves restructure

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