WHSmith is set to close another store today as the stationery shop shutters 20 branches this year. Its Oldham shop in Greater Manchester, located inside Spindles shopping centre, will close its doors at 12pm today, May 3, marking the end of the town’s only Post Office. A WHSmiths spokesperson said: “We can confirm that the WHSmith store in Oldham will be closing in May.
“It is no longer sustainable to continue to trade from this location and the decision has been taken to close the store as a result of the forthcoming lease expiry. We are disappointed to be losing our presence in Oldham and we would like to thank all our customers for their support and for shopping with us.”
The Post Office is now seeking a new partner to reopen a branch in Oldham town centre.
A spokesperson said: “The operator for Oldham Post Office has resigned as WHSmith has made the difficult decision to close the store where the branch is based. The date has not yet been finalised, but it to be in May.
“The vacancy has been advertised and we have interest expressed from 23 retailers and we are looking at the options available as we know how important a post office is to a community.”
This comes after WHSmith was bought by Hobbycraft’s parent company Modella Capital in a deal worth £76 million.
The sale means the WHSmith name will eventually disappear from UK high streets, with the stationery shop focusing on its more profitable travel division.
