WHSmith plc (also known as
WHS or colloquially as
Smith's) is a British retailer which operates a chain of
high street, railway station, airport, port, hospital and motorway service station shops selling books, stationery, magazines, newspapers and entertainment products. Its headquarters are in
Swindon,
Wiltshire. Smith's is listed on the
London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the
FTSE 250 Index. It was the first chain store company in the world, and was responsible for the creation of the
ISBN book catalogue system.