WHSmith has quietly sold several of its UK high street stores in a £10 million deal, with some now rebranded as “TG Jones,” sparking confusion and speculation about the future of the iconic British retail chain.

In a move that has caught both loyal shoppers and retail analysts off guard, WHSmith—the iconic British high street brand known for selling everything from books to snacks to stationery—has begun quietly erasing its name from certain stores.

The rebranding comes in the wake of a £10 million sale of a number of its UK outlets to a mystery buyer, and for the first time in over a century, some customers are walking into a WHSmith location without even realizing it.

The new name? TG Jones. It might sound like a heritage brand or a trendy offshoot, but it’s actually a near-anonymous façade masking what is still, in function and inventory, very much a WHSmith store.

While the familiar product lineup remains—magazines, greeting cards, bottled drinks, and grab-and-go food—the signage has changed, and with it, a sense of identity that’s been tied to the British high street since 1792.

The sudden rebrand has already rolled out at several locations, including the branch at Euston railway station in London. Passersby were stunned to see the once-iconic WHSmith logo replaced with sleek black and white lettering that reads simply: “TG Jones.”

There was no announcement, no fanfare, and most surprisingly, no acknowledgment of what the new name even stands for.

Retail insiders have since revealed that the stores were sold off by WHSmith and are now under new ownership, but have retained the same product sourcing and staff.

In essence, it’s the same shop—just without the name. WHSmith itself has declined to comment publicly on the full scale of the rebranding, sparking speculation about deeper financial motives behind the sale.

The move comes as WHSmith continues to face ongoing challenges in adapting to a changing retail landscape. Once a staple of every UK high street, train station, and airport, the company has in recent years shifted its focus more heavily to travel retail, particularly through airport concessions in the UK and abroad.

These outlets tend to be more profitable than traditional storefronts, especially with their captive audiences and reduced competition.

Despite strong performance in travel retail, WHSmith’s high street locations have been struggling. Many have criticized the brand for outdated store layouts, high prices, and poor customer service.

Some shoppers describe a visit to WHSmith as “functional at best,” with cluttered aisles and confusing promotions. The brand has also come under fire in recent years for stocking high-sugar snacks at child eye-level and charging sky-high prices for basics like bottled water.

In light of this, the £10 million sale and quiet rebranding of several stores could be part of a broader strategy to shed underperforming locations while recouping capital to reinvest in more profitable markets.

Still, for a brand so deeply woven into the fabric of British life—from school supplies to travel reads—the silent transition is unsettling.

Industry experts say the TG Jones branding may be intentionally vague, possibly to test the waters for a broader detachment from the legacy WHSmith name, or simply to avoid public backlash.

“It’s a classic case of retail rebranding without explanation,” says one branding consultant. “You create distance, control the narrative—or in this case, avoid the narrative entirely—and hope customers follow the products, not the logo.”

The sale and rebrand also raise questions about the future of traditional high street retail in the UK. As more people shop online or seek out niche stores with better customer experience, the one-size-fits-all model of retailers like WHSmith is starting to crack.

The rise of discount shops like B&M, fast delivery from online giants like Amazon, and the increasing preference for localized shopping have all chipped away at WHSmith’s dominance.

Still, there is nostalgia tied to the brand. Generations of Brits have bought their first notebooks, exam pens, or paperback novels at WHSmith. It was a go-to for holiday puzzle books, last-minute cards, and school supplies. The idea of that brand vanishing—even partially—hits a nerve for many.

Social media reactions to the TG Jones transformation have been swift and bewildered. “I just walked past a ‘TG Jones’ store that used to be a WHSmith…what even is that?” one user tweeted. Others joked that it sounded like a fictional detective or a made-up brand from a TV show.

As of now, WHSmith has not confirmed how many of its UK stores have been sold or rebranded, nor whether more TG Jones outlets will appear across the country. But the quiet nature of the transition suggests this might be only the beginning of a wider shift.

For now, the products on the shelves remain familiar—but the brand behind them is starting to look like a ghost of itself.

And as the signs come down, customers are left wondering: is this a retail experiment, a rebranding in disguise, or the slow farewell of one of Britain’s most recognizable names? Only time will tell if TG Jones is just a temporary alias—or the future face of what used to be WHSmith.