I got to shop at the WS Smith shop at Perth airport earlier this week. Here are some comments and photos. First up, they areas challenged with recruiting staff as many in retail are:
Their coffee offer was popular.
They offered a pick yourself candy and nut selection, which I thought was odd given Covid. This photo doesn’t even show half the range available in-store.
Their time to serve commitment at their food counter was interesting. I wondered if it was in response to something.
Their signage for each category of product is terrific, it makes shopping easier.
Leading to the main register area, their pitch of magazines for impulse purchase is good, as I have seen in plenty of other WH Smith outlets in trains locations overseas.
I checked myself out, and was surprised that they charge a surcharge for credit card use given that the cost of processing credit card payments is less than the cost of handling cash. Anyway, I used a card and, sure enough, they charged me 3 cents extra for this. What makes it more galling is that I bought a candy product and paid double what I would have paid in a supermarket. More fool me.
Overall, the shop is well laid out, clean, neat … what’s it needs to be in a transit location. The credit card surcharge is the only blemish from the visit.
The 3 cent credit card surcharge gets me. I guess because they are in an airport they can get away with it. It’s a bad look.
Peter, the 3 cent surcharge is odd to me as well. Feels petty.