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WHSmith will add around 20 Solstice Sunglasses spaces to selected airport store concepts through 2026. Show here: Shore Points Market at Newark Airport. WHSmith North America WHSmith is hoping to drive up sales in North America by making some of its stores a destination for higher-end sunglasses, an expanding but highly competitive fashion accessories category, that is new to the retailer. The North America division of the UK-listed retailer—now a pure-play travel retailer following divestments—has forge a strategic partnership with Solstice Sunglasses to integrate premium eyewear into a selection of WHSmith locations across North America. The company hopes to lift average transaction values (ATVs). The first Solstice shop-in-shop appeared at The Arts District Market store at San Diego Airport at the end of September, marking the first of 20 shop-in-shops planned to open through the end of 2026. The retailer—which has more than 340 specialty retail stores across the continent—said: “The rollout will extend across both resort and airport markets including key airports such as Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), Albuquerque (ABQ) in New Mexico.” While Solstice describes itself as “a luxury destination” that is mainly online, the lines coming to WHSmith are not expected to include many top-end names like Cartier, Celine, Christian Dior, Fendi, Givenchy, or Loewe, in its portfolio. Nevertheless, confirmed designer sunglasses brands that will appear include Gucci, Ray-Ban, Maui Jim, and Michael Kors through the placement of branded Solstice Sunglasses displays. For WHSmith, a specialty retailer in the airport marketplace that is best known for its convenience offering with accessible pricing, tapping into prestige sunglasses might be a gamble. The group has diversified in recent years and also includes Marshall Retail Group; InMotion tech stores—a new one is coming to John F. Kennedy Airport T5 in mid-November; and it is creating blended retail offers as seen at London Heathrow, MORE FOR YOU WHSmith looks to luxury The eyewear move, if successful, could help improve margins given the upscale brands coming in. This would help to recoup some of the overstated profits WHSmith had to revise back due to a financial reporting error. The mistake has cost it dearly in terms of the company’s stock value. WHSmith North America’s chief development officer, Roderick McOwen, described Solstice as a “trusted authorized reseller” that would “meet a growing demand for luxury goods in travel retail” and elevate the WHSmith offer. For Solstice Sunglasses, travel retail also opens up potential new opportunities. CEO Mikey Rosenberg, said: “We’re bringing authenticated luxury eyewear to high-conversion travel environments where customers actively seek quality products.” However, high conversion is not currently being seen in travel retail, especially not in North American airports. In a new report, management consultancy Kearney noted: “Overall, U.S. travelers consistently rank among the lowest converters and spend-per-passenger in duty-free zones remains modest, especially when compared with European and Middle East hubs.” Moreover, travel retail has stalled in North America due to weak demand. Both Avolta, whose Q3 results are out this Thursday, and Lagardère Travel Retail saw flat sales in North America in the first half. In Q3, Lagardère saw North American revenue grow by just 3% (below the company’s Q3 average of 5%), while South America soared by 35%, helped by a recovery in tourist traffic and new stores. For sure, the sunglasses market per se remains buoyant. Revenue at EssilorLuxottica, the largest eyewear company in the world, climbed 11.7% in Q3. The owner of the Sunglass Hut retail chain with stores in airports, reported above average growth of 12.1% in North America, driven by both its Professional Solutions and Direct-to-Consumer segments. This EssilorLuxottica numbers indicate that WHSmith is looking in the right general direction, but that the travel retail channel itself might prove challenging. The company will reveal its preliminary results on November 12. Editorial StandardsReprints & Permissions
