British travel retailer WHSmith will expand its footprint at John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York, US, with the inauguration of eight new stores in New Terminal One, set to open in 2026. WHSmith currently operates two stores in JFK’s Terminal 5.
The openings will be the first WHSmith branded store in JFK, and will feature a mix of its own brand formats and bespoke store concepts.
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The stores will feature two of its own-brand formats: WHSmith Travel Essentials and Skybound by WHSmith.
The retailer will introduce locally inspired store experiences such as The Queens Borough Market and The Canopy.
As part of the expansion, WHSmith will partner three airport certified disadvantaged business enterprise (ACDBE) partners: C&E Global Solutions, On-Site Retailers and Love from USA JFK.
These collaborations aim to bring local products to the forefront and ensure that local business partners are integral to WHSmith’s offerings to passengers in New Terminal One.
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By GlobalDataWHSmith CEO Carl Cowling stated: “Our win in the iconic JFK airport demonstrates growing demand for our world-class travel essentials offer and why North America is our most exciting opportunity for growth.
“This is significant for WHSmith North America and our partners, and we are delighted that our leading travel essentials proposition has been selected for the highly anticipated New Terminal One at John F Kennedy International Airport.”
WHSmith North America has been on a growth trajectory, bolstering its presence in major US East Coast airports.
With this expansion, the retailer will be operating more than 50 stores in the region, including at Newark and La Guardia airports in New York, and Ronald Reagan and Dulles International airports in Washington.
The addition of these eight stores at JFK will increase both WHSmith’s presence on the East Coast and the number of travellers it serves.
WHSmith has 1,200 stores in 32 countries, more than 300 of which are in North America.
In June 2025, WHSmith reported a 7% increase in global travel revenue on a constant currency basis for the 13 weeks leading up to 31 May 2025.
