WHSmith and SOLUM have announced a strategic partnership aimed at transforming the travel retail experience through the deployment of advanced electronic shelf label (ESL) technology across WHSmith’s UK travel estate. The initiative begins with the retailer’s newly opened flagship stores at Heathrow Airport, one of the busiest aviation hubs in the world, and marks a significant step forward in the modernization of travel-focused retail environments.
The rollout includes WHSmith’s flagship stores located in Heathrow Airport’s Terminals 3, 4, and 5 and forms part of a wider deployment plan across the company’s extensive travel retail network. By introducing SOLUM’s digital shelf-edge solutions, WHSmith aims to enhance pricing accuracy, improve customer communication, and streamline store operations while continuing to evolve its travel essentials offering to meet the needs of modern passengers.
The Heathrow flagship stores represent the latest chapter in WHSmith’s long-standing relationship with the UK’s largest airport. Designed specifically for travelers seeking convenience and efficiency, the stores offer a broad selection of products and services under one roof. Customers can access food and beverages, health and beauty products, technology accessories, pharmacy services, travel essentials, and other convenience items, creating a one-stop shopping destination for passengers preparing for their journeys.
As travel retail environments become increasingly dynamic and customer expectations continue to rise, the need for clear, accurate, and responsive shelf-edge communication has become more important than ever. SOLUM’s Newton ESL solutions provide WHSmith with the ability to update prices and promotional information digitally and in real time. This capability enables stores to react quickly to changing retail conditions while ensuring customers receive accurate and up-to-date information throughout their shopping experience.
The implementation of ESL technology is expected to deliver several operational benefits. By replacing traditional paper-based price tickets with digital displays, WHSmith can significantly reduce the time and effort associated with manual pricing updates. Store colleagues can spend less time managing shelf labels and more time focusing on customer service and operational priorities. The technology also helps improve consistency across multiple store locations, ensuring that pricing and promotional information remains synchronized throughout the network.
For travelers navigating busy airport environments, accurate and visible shelf information can make purchasing decisions quicker and easier. The digital labels support a more intuitive shopping experience by providing clear product information and promotional messaging, helping passengers efficiently find the products they need before departure.
To support the demanding requirements of high-traffic transportation hubs, WHSmith has selected Newton PRO, SOLUM’s flagship ESL platform. Designed specifically for challenging retail environments such as airports, railway stations, and major transit centers, Newton PRO combines durability, reliability, and advanced functionality. The solution features long battery life, rapid over-the-air updates, and programmable button capabilities, making it well suited to locations where operational efficiency and speed are critical.
The technology not only supports current retail operations but also creates opportunities for future innovation. The interactive functionality built into Newton PRO can potentially be leveraged for a range of additional applications, including enhanced operational workflows, inventory management support, and customer-facing services that further improve the shopping experience.
Commenting on the partnership, Heidi Reynolds, Retail Director at WHSmith, highlighted the company’s ongoing commitment to improving the travel experience for customers.
“At WHSmith, our focus is on making every journey better by bringing together all of the essentials travellers need in one place,” Reynolds said. “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.”
The partnership also represents a significant milestone for SOLUM as the company expands its footprint within the UK travel retail sector. Mark Duckworth, Country Manager for the UK and Ireland at SOLUM, emphasized the growing importance of digital retail technology in fast-paced transportation settings.
“WHSmith’s new flagship stores reflect the continued evolution of travel retail, where convenience, speed and clarity are essential to the customer journey,” Duckworth said. “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.”
As airports and transportation hubs continue to serve millions of passengers each year, retailers are increasingly turning to digital technologies to improve both operational performance and customer satisfaction. Through this collaboration, WHSmith and SOLUM are positioning themselves at the forefront of travel retail innovation, creating a more efficient, responsive, and customer-centric shopping environment for travelers across the UK.
About WHSmith
WHSmith is a leading travel essentials retailer for the world’s travelling customer. With more than 1,200 stores across over 30 countries worldwide, WHSmith offers passengers a wide range of food & drink, health & beauty, books and tech to support their journeys. The Company has over 600 stores primarily across the world’s leading airports. This includes more than 300 stores in North America, the world’s largest travel retail market.
About SOLUM
Founded in 2015 as a spin-off from Samsung Electro-Mechanics, SOLUM is a publicly traded company listed on the KOSPI stock exchange. The company has established itself as a leader in power solutions, display technologies, and electronic shelf labels (ESL), driving innovation across the global retail sector. With a strong commitment to customer-centric innovation and sustainable retail transformation, SOLUM continues to develop high-quality solutions that empower retailers to operate more efficiently in an increasingly digital world.
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