WHSmith is a British retail company with a long history that dates back to its founding in 1792. The company started as a small family-run newsagent and bookseller in Little Grosvenor Street, London. Over time, WHSmith expanded its operations and became one of the first retail chains in the world.
The WHSmith logo has undergone significant changes since the company’s founding in 1792. This article explores the history and evolution of the WHSmith logo over the years.
The Genesis of the WHSmith Logo (1975 – 1994)
The logo consisted of an emblem in red and the brand name in black against a white background. The emblem to the left featured the letters “S,” “H,” and “M” arranged in a cubic form highlighting the concept of a “gift.” Further, the emblem showed the letter “S” as dominant, while the “W” and “H” were added as secondary but of equal sizes. The brand name in uppercase used a sans-serif typeface with pointed serifs. The colour scheme of red and black was chosen to convey warmth and modernity, which aligned with the trends of the 1970s.
(1994 – Present)
The logo redesign of 1994 featured the brand name in title case in white pitted against a blue background within a horizontally stretched rectangle. Interestingly, the right and left serifs of “W” and “H” respectively were joined at the top.
In the vertical version of the logo, the letter “S” featured prominently at the centre in white against a vertically oriented rectangle with a purple background. Incidentally, the letters “W” and “H” in white were placed at the top of the logo.
(2023 – 2024)
This logo was used more or less as a trial and featured the letters “WHS” in white capitals against a blue parallelogram background. However, this logo looked similar to the NHS England logo, and the WHSmith stores reverted to the previous logo design. This trial logo was considered to be a failure.
2026: WHSmith to TGJones
The future of WHSmith seems uncertain now, with its Modella Capital-acquired 480 prime-location stores renamed to “TGJones.” The rebranding also raises questions about the trajectory of this 234-year-old British retailer.
Luckily, Modella Capital decided to keep the original blue and white colors for the brand to invoke the lingering sentimentality. Similarly, the name chosen for the billboards is purely to depict the same sense of family that was connected to the stores. The name is completely fictitious and is in no way related to any person, living or dead.
Following a similar, bold, Freight Sans Medium typeface, the letters “T,” “G,” and “J” are in uppercase. The remaining letters follow the lowercase format. The hook of “J” goes relatively lower than the base of other letters, breaking the typography into a more readable form.
A vertical version of the wordmark stacks conically, with “Jones” as the base carrying the weight of the “G” and “T” at the top, in a similar but larger font size than the base word.
The Elements of the WHSmith Logo
Font
In its early years, WHSmith used a traditional serif typeface for its branding. However, a significant change occurred in the early 20th century when the company adopted a custom typeface designed by Eric Gill. The typeface provided a unique and cohesive identity for WHSmith.
In the 1970s, WHSmith introduced a new logo featuring a bold sans-serif font. This design shift aimed to modernise the brand and make it more appealing to a contemporary audience. The font was characterised by clean lines and simplicity. The cube logo from this era prominently displayed “WHS” in a straightforward yet impactful manner.
Colour
Historically, WHSmith’s logos featured earthy tones such as brown and orange. These colours were chosen to evoke warmth and familiarity. The colour palette aimed to create an inviting atmosphere within stores.
However, the modern iterations of the WHSmith logo have shifted towards brighter and more vibrant colours. The recent logo features a blue background with white lettering for “WHS.” This choice of blue is often associated with trustworthiness and professionalism. Also, it aligns with WHSmith’s positioning as a reliable retailer in various environments like airports and train stations.
Finally
The WHSmith logo reflects broader trends in branding and consumer preferences over more than two centuries. The logo iterations have played a key role in shaping WHSmith’s identity.