TGJones
{{Short description|British newsagent retailer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{For|the Welsh footballer|T. G. Jones}}
{{Infobox company
| name = TG Jones High Street Limited
| logo =
| logo_caption =
| trading_name = TGJones
| type = Private
| industry = Retail
| genre =
| predecessor = WHSmith (high street and online businesses)
| foundation = {{Start date and age|df=yes|2025|06|30|}}
| founder =
| dissolved =
| location =
| location_city =
| area_served = United Kingdom
| key_people = Sean Toal (CEO)
| products = Books, periodicals, stationery
| services =
| revenue =
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| owner = Modella Capital
| num_employees =
| parent = TG Jones High Street Holdings Limited{{Cite web |date=2016-04-06 |title=TG Jones High Street Holdings Limited persons with significant control - Find and update company information - Gov.uk |url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/06560371/persons-with-significant-control |access-date=2025-07-01 |website=Companies House |language=en}}
| divisions =
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| homepage = {{URL|https://tgjonesonline.co.uk}}
}}
TG Jones High Street Limited,{{Cite web |title=TG Jones High Street Limited overview - Find and update company information - Gov.uk |url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/06560339 |access-date=2025-06-30 |website=Companies House |language=en}} trading as TGJones, is a British newsagent retailer. The retailer was once the high street retail and online businesses of WHSmith until it was sold to Modella Capital, which also owns Hobbycraft and The Original Factory Shop, on 30 June 2025.{{Cite web |date=28 March 2025 |title=Iconic retailer to disappear from high streets as 480 stores become 'TGJones' |url=https://www.thestar.co.uk/business/consumer/modella-capital-whsmith-rebrand-tg-jones-sale-stores-closing-travel-shops-news-5055932 |access-date=28 March 2025 |website=The Star |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2025-06-04 |title=Trading update for the 13 week period to 31 May 2025 |url=https://www.whsmithplc.co.uk/~/media/Files/W/WH-Smith/documents/press-releases/2025/trading-update-june-2025.pdf |access-date=2025-06-24 |website=WHSmith}}{{Cite web |last=Wright |first=Georgia |date=2025-06-30 |title=WHSmith slashes £12m from high street sale to push deal through - Retail Gazette |url=https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2025/06/whsmith-slashes-12m-from-high-street-sale-to-push-deal-through/ |access-date=2025-06-30 |language=en-GB}} The sale value of the shops was originally £76 million.
The name 'TGJones' is not derived from any individual, but was chosen to "[reflect] these stores being at the heart of everyone's high street".{{cite web |last=Ashworth |first=Louis |date=28 March 2025 |title=What does TGJones mean? |url=https://www.ft.com/content/ca32d9f4-6aed-4840-bac5-85dfa97cba66 |access-date=28 March 2025 |work=Financial Times}} In terms of branding, TGJones is similar to WHSmith, with a similar text mark and blue-and-white colour scheme.{{Cite web |title=Trade mark number UK00004169377 |url=https://trademarks.ipo.gov.uk/ipo-tmcase/page/Results/1/UK00004169377 |access-date=29 March 2025 |website=United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office}}
Sale and transition
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 will be retained by the WHSmith group for its travel retail shops and other activities, meaning the high street business will need to be rebranded.{{Cite news|last=Wright |first=Georgia |date=28 March 2025 |title=WHSmith sells UK high street arm for £76m to Modella Capital|work= Retail Gazette |url=https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2025/03/whsmith-sells-high-street/ |access-date=28 March 2025 |language=en-GB}} Despite not being related to its travel business, the card online retailer Funky Pigeon is not included in the sale and will be kept by WHSmith.{{Cite web |date=28 March 2025 |title=WHSmith sells UK High Street business to focus on higher growth travel retail markets |url=https://www.whsmithplc.co.uk/~/media/Files/W/WH-Smith/documents/press-releases/2025/whsmith-sells-uk-high-street-business.pdf |access-date=29 March 2025 |website=WHSmith plc}}
At the time the sale was agreed, there were 480 WHSmith high street stores.{{Cite news |last1=Sweney |first1=Mark |last2=Butler |first2=Sarah |date=28 March 2025 |title=WH Smith name to disappear from high street in agreed £76m sale to Modella |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/mar/28/wh-smith-brand-to-disappear-as-76m-sale-of-stores-to-modella-agreed |access-date=28 March 2025 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}{{Cite web |last=Holmes |first=Harry |date=28 March 2025 |title=WH Smith to rebrand as TGJones after £76m sale |url=https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/news/wh-smith-to-rebrand-as-tgjones-after-76m-sale/702738.article |access-date=28 March 2025 |website=The Grocer |language=en |archive-date=28 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250328075243/https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/news/wh-smith-to-rebrand-as-tgjones-after-76m-sale/702738.article |url-status=live }}
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 insist they plan to make few changes, retaining Post Offices and Toys "R" Us sections within shops.{{Cite news |last=Sweney |first=Mark |date=28 March 2025 |title=WH Smith name to disappear from high street in agreed £76m sale to Modella |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/mar/28/wh-smith-brand-to-disappear-as-76m-sale-of-stores-to-modella-agreed |access-date=28 March 2025 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}
In May 2025, Sky News revealed that WHSmith's 12 month long transitional services agreement with Modella Capital allowed for WHSmith to cancel the contract in the event of a company voluntary arrangement.{{Cite web |last=Kleinman |first=Mark |date=4 May 2025 |title=WH Smith buyer 'faces 12-month ban' on mass shop closures |url=https://news.sky.com/story/wh-smith-buyer-faces-12-month-ban-on-mass-shop-closures-13361601 |access-date=2025-05-05 |website=Sky News |language=en}}
Some WHSmith branches, such as the ones in Leominster, Ross-on-Wye, and Witney, have applied for planning permission to change their signs and branding to the TGJones name.{{Cite web |last=Evans |first=Matthew J C |date=2025-06-24 |title=Iconic high street brand to disappear from Oxfordshire town centre |url=https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/25261061.wh-smith-brand-replaced-oxfordshire-high-street/ |access-date=2025-06-24 |website=Oxford Mail |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=McEwan |first=Gavin |date=2025-06-20 |title=WHSmith name to disappear from two more Herefordshire shops |url=https://www.herefordtimes.com/news/25251636.whsmith-replaced-tg-jones-herefordshire/ |access-date=2025-06-24 |website=Hereford Times |language=en}}
On 30 June 2025, WHSmith completed the sale of the business although at a slashed price of £40 million
On 1st July 2025, the website and social media were offically launched, as well as the first branded store in Aylesbury. At the same time, the company announced the closure of its store (and Post Office franchise) in The Broadway, Bradford.{{Cite web |date=1 July 2025 |title=Bradford BD1 1US - 398306 - Post Office - Citizen Space |url=https://www.postofficeviews.co.uk/national-consultation-team/bradford-bd1-1us-398306-1/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250708103449/https://www.postofficeviews.co.uk/national-consultation-team/bradford-bd1-1us-398306-1/ |archive-date=8 July 2025 |access-date=8 July 2025 |website=Post Office Consultation Hub |publisher=Post Office Limited}}{{Cite web |last=Newman |first=Rowan |date=7 July 2025 |title=WHSmith to leave Bradford after decades with Broadway store to shut |url=https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/25295429.whsmith-broadway-bradford-closing-doors/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250708104007/https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/25295429.whsmith-broadway-bradford-closing-doors/ |archive-date=8 July 2025 |access-date=8 July 2025 |website=Bradford Telegraph and Argus |publisher=Telegraph & Argus |language=en}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.modellacapital.com/ Modella Capital official website]
Category:Retail companies of the United Kingdom
Category:Bookshops of the United Kingdom
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