WHSmith has never been the most exciting of retailers. In the last few years its City updates have followed the same reassuring yet predictable path – rising profits as further cost savings are found, and falling sales, particularly in its high street arm.

WHSmith has never been the most exciting of retailers. In the last few years its City updates have followed the same reassuring yet predictable path – rising profits as further cost savings are found, and falling sales, particularly in its high street arm.

But in the last 12 months the bookseller and stationer has started to look increasingly innovative. Its latest move – the launch of its own e-readers in the UK through a tie-up with Kobo – is showing the retailer in a new light. WHSmith claims it is launching the first Wi-Fi touchscreen e-reader to be made widely available in the UK. Although you could argue it is entering the e-reader market a little late, the move makes the once tired and, dare it be said, boring retailer look almost cutting edge.

Not only that, but according to Oriel analyst Jonathan Pritchard, WHSmith is stealing a march on global etail giant Amazon by launching its e-reader before the much-hyped Kindle Fire is released.

Elsewhere in the online sphere, WHSmith has been making inroads into the personalised greetings card world, with the acquisition of Funky Pigeon.com last year – think Moonpig, but with more personality and an even more catchy ad jingle to boot.

The retailer has impressed with its move into new channels too, including work places and hospitals. And its tried-and-tested travel format continues to be the star performer, as it revealed record full-year profits in the travel arm last week. It seems you can’t hop on a train or plane without running across a WHSmith store, and not just in the UK either.

The speed of its march into international territories has impressed, with chief executive Kate Swann saying last week that WHSmith could have a store base “well into the hundreds” overseas. It has 60 currently.

While WHSmith still faces structural challenges with the threat of Amazon and online retail in general, having stabilised the ship, Swann is starting to make it look more and more of an innovator.

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