W H Smith Retail

Ok it’s thursday evening, it’s really busy and I am tired but there must be an easier way to buy a magazine and a bottle of water.

Empty shelves, lack of staff and a long queue through the store didn’t leave a good impression.

The store on the first floor is much better than the onr on the way to the gates.

I went to the Ground floor WH Smith in the South Terminal. It's great if you are travelling with a low cost airline and want to buy drinks and snacks for the flight, a much better deal!
It's always going to be busy, the very fact that it has a queuing area half the size of the shop shows that. However I did feel it was very cramped and the layout not great. Still, it was in the right location when I needed it for a last minute botte of water.

always busy but great for getting all your mags and books. some cheaps snacks and sandwiches if looking for a cheap and cheerful fix

A travel branch of the news retailer - as it is located in an airport, this branch of Smiths contains a number of travel related items - including travel games and books, as well as the usual books, newspapers, magazines and other sundries.

One thing you might want to get whilst you’re there is a BAA WorldCard - this gives you points for things you spend at the airport, which you then can convert into vouchers to spend on items in the shops on your next visit. With all the bonuses you receive, it does add up quite fast, and you can redeem your points online.

Perhaps I was just unlucky, but when I last visited, I just got the same selection of overpriced food and drinks (Harrowgate Spring Water - probably the most expensive mineral water I’ve ever seen, and all the shops in Gatwick seem to sell the same brand, grr!)

This is a new branch of W H Smith in the extended South Terminal lounge at Gatwick Airport, near the Wetherspoons Pub and Prêt a Manger, on the first floor. (There’s another branch on the Ground Floor by the entrance to the gates).

It sells what you’d expect of Smiths – newspapers, magazines, confectionery and a limited range of stationery and books, all aimed at the travel market. Interestingly, though, they also have an extensive range of sandwiches and snacks in a long refrigerator, so clearly their lease doesn’t stop them competing from the various other food outlets around: a good thing if you want to stock up before getting on a budget flight (some of their sarnies are under £2).

The only downer is that the tills at the end are a little cramped, so on my recent visit one daydreaming 5-year old sitting on the floor managed to block everyone’s exit…