Plans to rebrand a recognisable High Street store in Wiltshire have been approved following a £40 million sale.
Earlier this year, WHSmith PLC sold its high street business to Hobbycraft-owner Modella Capital Ltd in a major change for one of the UK’s most established brands.
At the time, it was announced that all branches would be rebranded as TG Jones, with the WHSmith name disappearing from town centres after 230 years.
This rebranding has already taken place in Wiltshire towns like Malmesbury and Marlborough.
Planning permission was, however, necessary to rebrand the listed Chippenham High Street store, and an application was submitted in June.
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Wiltshire Council has now given these plans the green light, meaning the WHSmith name will soon leave Chippenham town centre and new signage will be installed.
WHSmith’s branches in hospitals, airports, and train stations in the UK and overseas will remain unchanged.
Earlier this year, group chief executive Carl Cowling said: “As we continue to deliver on our strategic ambition to become the leading global travel retailer, this is a pivotal moment for WHSmith as we become a business exclusively focused on travel.
"We are in our strongest ever position to deliver enhanced growth as we move forward as a pure travel retailer.”
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