Classy British chain opened its first shop at Budapest Airport

They opened a big store in Budapest Airport in front of the duty-free shop.

According to Világgazdaság, WHSmith, a glamorous British retail chain, opened its first shop at Budapest Airport. Based on a post by Budflyer, the new shop is located on the departure side of Budapest Airport’s Terminal 2B. It is in front of the duty-free shop.

Based on the post, the chain offers a wide range of products from newspapers to books, electronic devices, foods, and drinks.

According to Világgazdaság, WHSmith tends to open shops at airports. However, its network is more extended than the ordinary duty-free shops at the airgates.

The chain was founded in 1792 as a family-owned newspaper seller. Later, it became a global network and the world’s first retail chain. Last year, they celebrated their 231st anniversary.

They have more than 600 shops in the United Kingdom, mostly in the downtowns and main shopping streets, malls. An additional 800 shops are at airports, train stations, hospitals and near motorways.

It is present in Australia, Southeast Asia, India and the Middle East in 32 countries. Its portfolio includes 120 airports. They pay special attention to selling local products in the different countries.

Their first shop at the Budapest Airport opened three weeks ago.

In a LinkedIn post, they wrote that their newest store is 1,200 sqm. They added that they planned to open more than 100 news shops in 2024, but did not share any details about a possible expansion in Hungary. WH Smith Hungary, the company’s Hungarian subsidiary, was registered in Hungary in summer 2023.