WHSmith has warned that full-year profits are expected to come in at the bottom of its previous guidance, as the retailer continues to face challenging trading in North America.
The travel retailer now expects underlying pre-tax profit for the year to 31 August 2026 to be around £75m, compared with its previous guidance of between £75m and £90m.
The downgrade follows weaker trading in North America, where like-for-like sales fell 3 per cent during the fourth quarter.
WHSmith said it is taking action to improve the performance of its North American business and is carrying out a review of its operations in the region.
Performance in the UK was more positive, with sales increasing 4 per cent during the period.
The update comes as WHSmith continues its transformation into a focused global travel retailer following the sale of its UK high street business last year.
The group now operates across airports, railway stations, hospitals and other travel locations internationally, making the performance of its North American division increasingly important to its wider growth strategy.
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