Heathrow Unveils New Retail Strategy With WHSmith, RELAY

Heathrow Airport has announced a major transformation of its retail experience, awarding new long-term agreements to WHSmith and Lagardère Travel Retail. The partnerships follow a strategic review focused on enhancing the travel essentials offering for passengers.

Based on feedback from thousands of passengers, Heathrow will adopt a blended essentials model in all terminals, consolidating key product categories—books, magazines, food, health, and beauty—under one roof.

Lagardère Travel Retail will introduce its flagship RELAY stores to the UK, starting with four locations in Terminal 2. These shops will offer a wide variety of travel must-haves including books, souvenirs, snacks, toys, and pharmacy services. The upper-level departures store will also include a dedicated pharmacy, while other locations will feature the retailer’s Discover souvenir concept.

WHSmith, already a familiar name at Heathrow, will expand its presence significantly. It will operate travel essentials stores in Terminals 3, 4, and 5, and become the main health and beauty provider in Terminals 3 and 4. A new pharmacy service will also be offered in Terminals 3, 4, and 5. In total, WHSmith will operate over 20 stores across the airport.

Each new WHSmith store will include a food and coffee offer via Smith’s Family Kitchen, plus a full range of travel retail and wellness products, tailored to meet the needs of busy passengers.

Industry Leaders React

Andrew Harrison, CEO of WHSmith UK Travel, praised the long-standing relationship between the two companies and emphasized WHSmith’s commitment to innovation. Peter Newbould, CEO of Lagardère Travel Retail UK & Ireland, highlighted Heathrow’s status as a global retail leader and expressed excitement about bringing RELAY to British travellers.

Fraser Brown, Retail Director at Heathrow Airport, added:

“Our passengers are at the heart of everything we do, and we are excited to launch our new blended essentials approach as part of our transformational retail strategy.”

The new stores will begin opening from summer 2026, marking a new chapter in Heathrow’s ambition to offer a seamless and elevated airport experience for travellers from around the world.