The 24 hour WHSmith convenience store at Knutsford Northbound, located on the ground floor, opposite customer seating and near the entrance. Their product range differs somewhat from M&S here. WHSmith provides drinks, snacks, travel essentials and books. WHSmith would’ve opened at the same time as Moto’s others around 2008 and is yet to be refurbished with their new styling evident at most motorway WHSmith stores. It’s a very diminutive WHSmith store, but still provides all the typical facilities, such as a Costa Express area, Krispy Kreme cabinet, Tango Ice Blast and F’real milkshakes. I should expect this store will be refurbished soon. WHSmith has become such a widespread name at motorway services that mostly, operators don’t advertise them much as they value them more as a basic facility, much like toilets. Because of this, customers can forget about WHSmith as a brand. Miraculously, WHSmith was essentially non-existent at motorway services before 2007. Their high frequency at services would have you fooled that WHSmith has been used at MSA’s for ages, but it’s only been 17 years. Before WHSmith, most operators had own-brand shops, such as restore at Roadchef. As with many brands at Moto services, the prices in this WHSmith are considerably inflated compared to high street branches. This is because of the demand, and this store at Knutsford sees more opportunity for inflation as it’s positioned near the entrance, so obvious for passing customers, many of which will choose to shop here over the M&S on the footbridge (especially less able customers who can’t get up the stairs at Knutsford). Unlike some WHSmith stores, this one at Knutsford doesn’t spill out onto the concourse as much as the interior of Knutsford Northbound is rather cramped & there isn’t enough space. WHSmith was very quiet during my visit as Knutsford North was bizarrely quiet at the time. Normally how busy the services is determines how busy WHSmith is as it can be used anytime of the day, unlike Burger King for example. WHSmith isn’t signposted from the M6 North, as Moto don’t deem WHSmith as one of Knutsford’s most essential brands and mostly, customers would expect to find it here anyway. Because of this, WHSmith isn’t signposted much around the site either.

Photo taken on 10/02/2024 by Tom Moon.

Assigned to galleries: Knutsford, WHSmith, Moto, M6 (England)