# data[].attributes.body
Founded in: 1792

Industry sector: Retail industry

Number of Employees: 14,321

Organisational topic of interest: Strategy

Mission statement/Vision:

Our goal is to be Britain's most popular high street stationer, bookseller and newsagent. Travel and High Street sectors are run by separate management teams reflecting the different customers, strategies, operating models and cost structures.

Values:

Customer Focus. Keep the customer at the heart of all that we do.

Value our People. Our people are respected and valued in an honest, open environment.

Drive for Results. Tenacity for ambitious and competitive results – delivered with pace.

Accountability. Take personal responsibility and deliver what we say we will.

# data[].attributes.body
Greenbridge Road, Swindon, SN3 3LD

# data[].attributes.body
133 Houndsditch, London EC3A 7BX

# data[].attributes.body
Founded in: 2017

Industry sector: Space industry

Number of Employees: 2 - 10 employees, currently.

Organisational topic of interest: Vision

Mission statement/Vision: Creating a new horizontal launch capability for the UK in partnership with Virgin Orbit by 2021, and develop a "satellite technology cluster of national importance".

The initial phase of the Spaceport project aims to create 150 direct jobs by 2025, of which over 80 are expected to be filled by local residents, and will be 2.6 times more productive than the national average. They aim to increase this number to 448 jobs by 2028.

# data[].attributes.body
Spaceport Head Office Location (Newquay Airport, Cornwall)

# data[].attributes.body
WHSmith has a range of high quality own brand products ranging from stationary, travel and digital essentials.

WHSmith's competitive edge is due to their widespread global sourcing network (eg. factories and products from international brands). WHSmith has an in-house design team based in the UK sourcing 30 people from Hong Kong and Shanghai which allows them to produce their own products.

They are a strong market leaders in stationary with collections being developed from their in-house design team which incorporates worldwide trends in their designs.
They tailor their products to appeal to the specific market and customers aligning with their core values.

WHSmith has been innovative through their use of sustainably sourced materials for their paper and card-based products. They use pulp from recycled sources in all their own brand stationery products. They ensure all virgin materials used in their products are from known, legal, well-managed and credibly-certified forests.

WHSmith expanded their business into travel; they introduced their own core travel essentials line which was developed by the in-house design team creating essentials such as travel adaptors, travel pillows and luggage locks. Giving them the competitive edge against competitors due to its location and convenience.

Their Quality and Assurance team ensures that all their own branded products are safe, fit for purpose and compliant with regulations in any market in which they operate. They ensure all manufacturing is done to the highest of standards by making sure suppliers and employees are treated fairly. Making them stand out among competitors against quality not price.

In 2019, WHSmith announced its acquisition of Marshall Retail Group explaining their presence in the US and adding 170 new stores. Their 36 airport stores instantly contributed $84m in revenue. They plan to open 36 new stores between 2020-2024.

# data[].attributes.body
Choosing Cornwall as the location for "horizontal launch" showed innovation due to the growing demand for small satellite launches; a lack of European Spaceports enabled Cornwall Airport Newquay to respond to these demands by offering geographical benefits to the project.

Spaceport Cornwall also announced partnership with Virgin Orbit, which will enable them to expand their operation and carry out up to eight horizontal launches each year.

The Spaceport Cornwall website offers a "Media Centre" on the website to allow people to access the latest press releases, photos and videos to do with the Horizontal launch project.

"The Spaceport project is the first Cornwall Council project to undertake an independent carbon emissions report. In addition, a full environmental impact assessment will be carried out and offsetting plan will be put in place as one of the first project deliverables". This unique decision to carry out independent checks showcases their innovative attitude to develop ideas contrasting the traditional approach.

As part of their Full Outreach programme, the team at Spaceport has already engaged with over 3,000 local students. Additionally, "astronaut Tim Peake has publicly stated his support for the project as a way to inspire the next generation into STEAM subjects (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics)".

# data[].attributes.body
In the next 5 years, Spaceport Cornwall is planning to create 150 jobs and will add £200 million to the economy.

The University of Exeter and Spaceport Cornwall have been working together to build services and business expertise. This synergy between the organisations is an excellent example of education innovation across sectors.

It will enable Spaceport Cornwall to construct a team that are concerned with health, the environment and the development of space technology.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Cornwall and Virgin Orbit are committing to a partnership seeking to deliver a horizontal launch Spaceport at Cornwall Airport Newquay, UK by 2021, creating a satellite technology cluster of national importance.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Spaceport Cornwall - UK Spaceport site Newquay Cornwall Airport

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Cornwall and Virgin Orbit are committing to a partnership seeking to deliver a horizontal launch Spaceport at Cornwall Airport Newquay, UK by 2021, creating a satellite technology cluster of national importance.

# data[].attributes.body
When have you had to implement an innovative measure to adapt to competing organisations?

How important do you consider innovation to the longevity of an organisations success?

When have you attempted an innovative measure that appeared too risky to implement?

How do you approach innovation?

Given the current climate of COVID-19, has innovation become a greater priority than before?

Does your innovation implementation strategy alter when there is a crisis present such as COVID-19?

Has COVID-19 impacted any planned innovations?

How do you define successful innovation?

How do you build a process for innovation?

Do you feel that innovating too frequently or vigorously runs the risk of losing an identity or culture?

How to do you decipher whether your innovations have been successful or not?

In your opinion, what is most important when innovating a product or service?

# data[].attributes.body
What were the reasons behind establishing in the UK/Cornwall specifically?

Are there plans to diversify and develop your offering further? If so, what are your plans?

How do you implement new innovations?

Have you invested in other areas of business/industries?

How has COVID-19 impacted the project? And has it impacted how you approach innovation?

Can you give us an overview of the timeline between product ideation and product launch? Alternatively, what were the main stages of innovation between ideation and launch?

We noticed that on your social media the launch date has been pushed from 2021 to 2022, is this due to COVID-19?

Are there any innovative developments which need to be implemented before the launch? If so, yes what are these changes?

We see that you have partnered with Virgin Orbit, were there/are there any plans to partner with other organisations as well?

Does sustainability/ethical external factors impact the innovation process?

Was there a time pressure to innovate quickly due to other organisation’s recent developments? E.g., SpaceX’s reusable rockets

# data[].attributes.body
With the growing popularity of online shopping platforms such as Amazon, what new measures have you implemented to adapt to this?

Do you feel that the novelty of in person book browsing/purchasing has been tarnished from digital shopping and how have you countered this?

COVID-19 has impacted high-street shopping significantly, have you got plans to innovate and diversify your offerings to reflect this?

On your LinkedIn page, you have said that you thrive in a culture of innovation and encouraging employees to develop their own ideas. How do you efficiently allow your staff to innovate and generate ideas for the company? Does this have an impact on their motivation?

Are your current innovations focused on a particular demographic/group or have you diversified to be as inclusive as possible?

What have been your biggest challenges when innovating new products/services in the last year?

What metrics do management team/analysts use when measuring the success of your new innovations?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Established in 1792, WHSmith started out as family-run newsagents before becoming the first retail chain in the world. We celebrated WHSmith's 225th anniversary in 2017, and with over 600 stores on the high street and another 600+ stores at airports, train stations, hospitals and motorway services, WHSmith is now one of the UK's leading retail groups and a household name.

Where Can I Find Out More About WHSmith?

Our About WHSmith page provides more information about us.

Where Can I Find Out More About WHSmith PLC?

We have a dedicated WHSmith PLC website that provides information for investors, students and those interested in the company.

Where Can I Find Out About Job Vacancies at WHSmith?

Our current job opportunities are posted online on the WHSmith Careers website, where you can apply online for vacancies.

Can I Become an Affiliate of WHSmith?

You can find out about our affiliate programme on our Affiliates page.

What is WHSmith's Policy on Disposal of Electrical Products?

You can read our waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) policy online.

Where Can I Read More about WHSmith Products?

The WHSmith Blog features lots of exciting content about our products, including author interviews, recipes, how-tos, book club content and more.

I Have a Question That Hasn't Been Answered Here, What Should I Do?

You may find the answer to your query on our FAQs page.

How Can I Contact WHSmith?

Our contact centre is open Monday - Friday from 9am - 5pm, not including public holidays. You can email us at support@whsmith.co.uk.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Established in 1792, WHSmith started out as family-run newsagents before becoming the first retail chain in the world. We celebrated WHSmith's 225th anniversary in 2017, and with over 600 stores on the high street and another 600+ stores at airports, train stations, hospitals and motorway services, WHSmith is now one of the UK's leading retail groups and a household name.

# data[].attributes.body
ATI Cornwall Innovation. (2020). "Changing Market Creates Space for Spaceport Cornwall". https://www.aticornwallinnovation.co.uk/2020/09/18/changing-market-creates-space-for-spaceport-cornwall/

Spaceport Cornwall. (2019). "Frequently Asked Questions".
https://www.spaceportcornwall.com/pdfs/spaceport-launch-QandA19.pdf

University of Exeter. (2019).

Spaceport Cornwall investment is giant leap for science and innovation in the South West.

https://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/featurednews/title_767728_en.html

# data[].attributes.body
WHSmith Innovation. (2020).
Retrieved from: https://www.whsmithplc.co.uk/innovation

Vincent, M. (2019). WHSmith’s $400m US deal is only half the incredible story. FINANCIAL TIMES. Retrieved from: https://www.ft.com/content/fc2ad8b6-f0bd-11e9-ad1e-4367d8281195?fbclid=IwAR03cf7DsOnyHd5pUmscChP5nGP9HRZ3iGMWsIdjii9xFIyxn3NOEkZK9i0.