An artist’s impression of WHSmith’s new flagship travel retail stores at Heathrow.

WHSmith has secured a new long-term agreement with Heathrow Airport (LHR) to launch three global flagship travel retail stores and amplify its health & beauty and and pharmacy proposition at the hub.

The move gives the green light to the global travel retailer to operate travel essentials stores in its one-stop-shop format across Terminals 3, 4 and 5 (where is presence will be expanded).

Each store will offer a wide range of high-quality products, including WHSmith’s award-winning Smith’s Family Kitchen food range, an extensive coffee and bakery offer and a complete range of health and beauty products from major brands, tailored specifically for passenger needs.

Additionally, WHSmith will become the main airside health and beauty provider in Terminals 3 and 4 and will also provide a pharmacy offer across Terminals 3, 4 and 5.

Once the upgrades are complete, WHSmith will operate more than 20 stores across Heathrow’s terminals, effectively cementing its status as the main travel essentials provider at Europe’s largest airport.

“This agreement is the latest step in the successful long-term partnership between two major British businesses at the forefront of travel retail, Heathrow and WHSmith,” said Andrew Harrison, CEO of WHSmith UK Travel.

“Our innovative one-stop-shop format is a proven model, and we are delighted to be taking a significant step forward in our Health & Beauty and pharmacy proposition across Heathrow.

“We look forward to welcoming many more passengers on their journeys through Heathrow in the years to come.”

Heathrow has announced a new travel essentials strategy, giving rise to major new agreements with WHSmith and Lagardère Travel Retail to deliver a blended essentials strategy across all terminals.

The news follows Heathrow’s strategic review of travel essentials, with the aim of delivering an improved and modernised shopping experience for passengers across its terminals.

The strategy has been based on feedback from thousands of passengers (via two research projects commissioned by WHSmith and Heathrow respectively) on how retail can support time-pressed travellers.

Among the findings was that passengers’ strongest motivator to pick up travel essentials from the airport is the knowledge they could get everything they needed – 23% of 1,075 participants, according to the research commissioned by Heathrow (Trinity McQueen, 2023).

In response, Heathrow is implementing a blended essentials strategy to offer key product categories including news, books, health and beauty under one roof in every terminal.

In addition to the WHSmith agreement, Heathrow has awarded a major travel essentials contract to Lagardère Travel Retail to operate the Blended Travel Essentials concession in Terminal 2 from early summer 2026, marking the debut of the Relay brand in the UK. Click here for the details including exclusive comment from Peter Newbould, CEO of Lagardère Travel Retail UK & Ireland.

“Our passengers are at the heart of everything we do, and we are excited to launch our new blended essentials approach for travel essentials as part of our transformational retail strategy,” said Fraser Brown, Retail Director at Heathrow Airport.

“For nearly 80 years Heathrow and WHSmith have held a successful partnership, bringing new and innovative retail experiences for passengers.

“We also look forward to welcoming Relay to both Terminal 2 and the UK to broaden our category offer as we work towards becoming an extraordinary airport, fit for the future.”

Earlier this month, Heathrow unveiled its five-year £10bn investment plan to create new terminal space for lounges, shops and restaurants within existing terminals.

READ MORE: WHSmith revenue remains strong across its global travel portfolio

READ MORE: ‘Pivotal moment’ as WHSmith agrees sale of High Street shops; travel focus

READ MORE: WHSmith releases trading update ahead of 2025 AGM