WHSmith launches first cafe at Southampton hospital as it enters hospitality market
WH Smith has made its move into the hospitality sector with the opening of its first café.
The café, named Smith’s Kitchen, first opened on Thursday in Princess Anne Hospital, Southampton.
The 26 seat, 495 sq ft café offer a menu has been designed for hospital customers including NHS staff, patients and visitors, the Swindon headquartered retailer said.
Andrew Harrison, UK travel managing director, WHSmith, said: “Whether it’s in a hospital or on their journeys, customers tell us that quality food and drink options are what they prioritise most in the different locations we serve. That’s why we have been doubling down on our food ranges and formats to ensure our customers don’t need to compromise on quality or value, as demonstrated today with the launch of Smith’s Kitchen. With the opening of our first ever own-brand café coming hot on the heels of our newly launched own-brand food range, this shows the pace of innovation across our business and commitment to delivering quality experiences and products at WHSmith for our customers and partners.”
UK Travel is the largest division in WHSmith operating 590 stores across the UK in airports, hospitals and railway stations. With passenger numbers increasing, the business said it is focused on becoming a one-stop-shop for travel essentials.
Food to go and meal deals are one of the key reasons customers shop with WHSmith, with over 11 million meal deals made from over 900,000 product combinations sold by the retailer each year.
The Smith’s Kitchen opening in Princess Anne Hospital is the first time WHSmith’s own-brand store and food to go range has been brought together under one roof, with plans for the combined offer to roll out across more travel locations in the UK in the near future.
WHSmith’s hospital offer is one of the fastest growing areas of its UK Travel business, operating over 140 stores and franchises in hospitals across the UK, with four new locations opened in the past eight weeks alone. The retailer has outlined that it sees opportunities ahead for at least one of its formats to extend into up to a further 200 hospitals.
Matthew Hine, commercial and enterprise development manager, University Hospital Southampton, said: “UHS is delighted to have secured a long-standing partnership with WHSmith and is proud to welcome Smith’s Kitchen to our Princess Anne Hospital site where the team will be providing a new café and retail offer that can be enjoyed by patients, staff and visitors.”
