I know what you mean sandmaster. but I don't think they ever were the best bookshop/stationers/newsagents in town, Menzies was much better. I must say that Smiths is not a shop I use that often, though they do usually have the best selection of magazines in town. My teenage sons got W H Smiths gift cards at Christmas, and they really struggled to spend them. One spent his just on magazines, and it was only earlier this month that the younger one decided on a book he would like. I was worried that Smiths were going to close down and he would lose out on not having spent his card!