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TGJones
TG Jones High Street Limited, trading as TGJones, is a British newsagent, stationer and book retailer. The retailer was formerly the high street retail and online businesses of WHSmith, who sold it to Modella Capital on 30 June 2025. The sale value of the shops was originally £76 million.
The name "TGJones" is not derived from an individual, but was invented by Modella Capital to sound similar to "WHSmith" (named after William Henry Smith) and thereby continue the implication of being a family business. In terms of branding, TGJones is similar to WHSmith, with a similar text mark and blue-and-white colour scheme.
WHSmith opted to sell the business in order to focus on its larger travel retail operation which accounted for 75% of its trading revenue and 85% of its profits in the last financial year. The WHSmith brand has been retained by the WHSmith group for its travel retail shops and other activities, meaning the high street business would need to be rebranded. Despite not being related to the travel business, online card retailer Funky Pigeon was not included in the sale and was instead kept by WHSmith with the intention to sell it separately; Card Factory was the eventual buyer. Online stationery business Cult Pens was also retained by WHSmith.
At the time the sale was agreed, there were 480 WHSmith high street stores.
Following concerns from the Communication Workers Union, representing Post Office and Royal Mail staff, that the sale may cause "postal deserts" given the large proportion of branches inside the WHSmith high street stores, Modella insisted that they planned to make few changes, retaining Post Offices and Toys "R" Us sections within shops.
In May 2025, Sky News revealed that WHSmith's 12 month long transitional services agreement with Modella Capital allowed WHSmith to cancel the contract in the event of a company voluntary arrangement.
In late June 2025, before the sale to Modella Capital was officially complete, some WHSmith branches, including those in Leominster, Ross-on-Wye, and Witney, applied for planning permission to change their signs and branding to the TGJones name.
On 30 June 2025, WHSmith completed the sale of the business at a reduced valuation of £40 million.
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TGJones
TG Jones High Street Limited, trading as TGJones, is a British newsagent, stationer and book retailer. The retailer was formerly the high street retail and online businesses of WHSmith, who sold it to Modella Capital on 30 June 2025. The sale value of the shops was originally £76 million.
The name "TGJones" is not derived from an individual, but was invented by Modella Capital to sound similar to "WHSmith" (named after William Henry Smith) and thereby continue the implication of being a family business. In terms of branding, TGJones is similar to WHSmith, with a similar text mark and blue-and-white colour scheme.
WHSmith opted to sell the business in order to focus on its larger travel retail operation which accounted for 75% of its trading revenue and 85% of its profits in the last financial year. The WHSmith brand has been retained by the WHSmith group for its travel retail shops and other activities, meaning the high street business would need to be rebranded. Despite not being related to the travel business, online card retailer Funky Pigeon was not included in the sale and was instead kept by WHSmith with the intention to sell it separately; Card Factory was the eventual buyer. Online stationery business Cult Pens was also retained by WHSmith.
At the time the sale was agreed, there were 480 WHSmith high street stores.
Following concerns from the Communication Workers Union, representing Post Office and Royal Mail staff, that the sale may cause "postal deserts" given the large proportion of branches inside the WHSmith high street stores, Modella insisted that they planned to make few changes, retaining Post Offices and Toys "R" Us sections within shops.
In May 2025, Sky News revealed that WHSmith's 12 month long transitional services agreement with Modella Capital allowed WHSmith to cancel the contract in the event of a company voluntary arrangement.
In late June 2025, before the sale to Modella Capital was officially complete, some WHSmith branches, including those in Leominster, Ross-on-Wye, and Witney, applied for planning permission to change their signs and branding to the TGJones name.
On 30 June 2025, WHSmith completed the sale of the business at a reduced valuation of £40 million.
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