British books, newspaper and stationery retailer WH Smith today posted a 3.75% rise in first-half pretax profit as its travel business continued to outshine lagging high street or town centre retail operations.
WH Smith said profit before tax for the six months to February 28 rose to £83m from £80m last year.
Trading profit at its travel business, made up of outlets at airports, railway stations, motorway services, hospitals and workplaces, rose 11% to £39m, helped by an improvement in passenger numbers.
The group, which will celebrate its 225th anniversary this year, has stores in Dublin Airport.
It said sales fell 4% at its high street business, citing tough comparatives from last year, when sales were boosted by the "colour therapy" trend for adult colouring-in books.
Trading profit at its high street business remained flat at £53m.
