WHSmith convenience store at Birch Westbound, situated on the main walkway between BK & M&S. It’s location means customers pass this store on the way to additional facilities this site offers, attracting trade. Open 24-7, this store is imperative when all other facilities here are closed during the night. As with some motorway WHSmith stores, it “spills out” onto the concourse. It’s a large store, and would’ve first been branded WHSmith in around 2008. It’s home to a Krispy Kreme cabinet and Costa Express machines. This store also offers customers various travel essentials & snacks, at an inflated price. The store was fairly quiet during my visit, especially compared to M&S. This is likely down to how WHSmith isn’t signposted at all from the M62 or around the site, whereas M&S is. The inside seems very modern and despite that this WHSmith hasn’t received a recent facelift like many other motorway ones have, I doesn’t appear to require one.

Photo taken on 24/06/2023 by Tom Moon.

Assigned to galleries: Birch, WHSmith, Moto, M6