Today marked the end of an era on Paisley High Street, as the WHSmith name disappeared from above the shopfront for the last time.
The news follows the sale of WHSmith’s high street arm to private equity firm Modella Capital, which has begun rebranding the 480 stores under a new name: TG Jones. While the company’s profitable travel stores in airports and railway stations will remain WHSmith, our town centre branches will now trade under this new identity.
For many in Paisley, WHSmith has been more than just a shop. Generations remember it as the place to buy school stationery, browse the latest books, pick up magazines, or even just stop in for a quick wander during a trip into town. It has been part of the fabric of the High Street, woven into everyday routines.
The change of name may seem small on paper, but it symbolises something larger—the shifting landscape of our town centres. Long-standing brands disappear, new ones appear, and what once felt permanent becomes part of history. Paisley, like high streets across the country, has seen countless familiar names come and go. WHSmith’s departure is another reminder of that constant evolution.
Whether TG Jones will carry the same weight of memory and recognition remains to be seen. For now, though, many will pause as they walk past the shopfront and think back to the years when WHSmith was a trusted part of Paisley life.
Paisley Photographs 