WHSmith

One of the UK's leading retail chains, selling newspapers, magazines, stationery, books, and entertainment products from around 550 high street stores and over 250 airport and railway station outlets. It was also a major distributor of newspapers and magazines until 2006 when that arm of the business was demerged as Smiths News plc. WHSmith has continued as the separate retail arm.

In 1999 WHSmith acquired Internet and publishing businesses in a bid to stay at the forefront of the growth in electronic commerce, and set up its own portal Web site.

Two newsvendor's sons, Henry Edward Smith and William Henry Smith, ran the first shop in the Strand, London, 1820–28, after which William Henry Smith continued alone. In 1846 he was joined by his son William Henry Smith, and they opened the first railway bookstall at Euston Station, London, in 1848.