WH Smith

Awful service! I asked for a VAT receipt too late apparently! I had change thrown into my hand and was stared at by a member of staff. Not cool WH Smith. Not cool.

This Smiths is a very big one that covers a couple of floors and seems to have whatever you may be looking for in terms of books, stationary, etc. For me though, the magazine section, which covers a very long wall and then some, is the best part. I can get my football/​soccer mags there and there are several different ones and ones on trains, fitness, cooking, history… the list is endless. Of course they have all the usual newspapers too.

We all know what W H Smiths does, but this branch is very tired, lacks space and really need a revamp.
The entrance seems narrower than the rest of the shop and getting in there in the first place feels like a bit of a squeeze. Then all the aisles are so narrow that when one person stops to look at a magazine you get stuck. Upstairs is very dark and they just seem to have crammed everything in.
Maybe they should buy the old Borders shop and move into that beautiful empty space.

With Borders now sadly gone (another one bites the dust due to this stupid recession), if you’re after a magazine that wouldn’t be considered «mainstream» unless I’m mistaken this WHSmith’s really is the only place in Cardiff to go. The selection is rather impressive; they have all the industry specific weeklies such as PR Week and Drapers (really handy for graduate interviews), and when I’ve consumed all the British fashion mags, I head over to the international section, where joy of joys I can purchase American Vogue and Elle (got to be on top of the trends both sides of the bond).
This WHSmith also has a fairly decent selection of books (lots of travel guides and recipe books), DVDs, board games (great for family fun at Christmas).

We all know what WH SMiths deal in. But what I do love about the place is it’s extensive range of special interest magazines, not like that!
As a massive horror fan, I find it very hard to get my news via the physical world without subscriptions. Luckily for me they stock American horror magazine, Fangoria. At a price thanks to import charges.
So in review review WH Smith = Geek friendly.

I have really ‘gone off’ this particular shop over the last few years. I don’t like the layout, especially upstairs which is on various different levels — steps up and down, here and there — everything seems a bit of a muddle and things aren’t particularly easy to find. Downstairs is always very crowded and there are long queues for the check-​out. I don’t find the staff particularly friendly either.

Sells everything that every other WHSmiths sell– a large store, with its own coffee shop as well. Its over 2 floors, with a large area for stationary. Saying that, all of its prices are not cheap– a pack of standard printer paper could set you back £6! As other reviewers have said, there are more specialist shops in close proximity.

At the moment W H Smith has so many offers at their store it is hard to know which ones to use — £5 off £10 on any one book, £5 off £20 spend, £5 of any kids books you are spoilt for choice. I always like to visit the Queen Street store early in morning when it is quiet I can browse to my hearts content. Saturdays it is a bit of a nightmare though.
But now is the time to do your Christmas shopping there with all these offers. They have a very large book department also DVDs, CDs and stationery.

Cardiff’s main branch of the ubiquitous stationer’s is something of a labyrinth; the downstairs area selling greetings cards and magazines is decidedly cramped, but the upstairs is more spacious, albeit on several levels and itself rather rambling. This sells books, calendars, stationery, IT items, CDs and DVDs; and gifts — aimed mainly at children.
Prices are fairly standard and provide pretty good value in my experience, but there are some good reductions on items like stationery, particularly if you aren’t bothered by what’s ‘in-​style.’ As rappion says, some of the ranges are a bit limited, but their own ranges (eg calendars) offer good value for money.
Upstairs is also an outlet of Costa Coffee, if you are in need of a break from shopping; tucked away to one side, it seems something of a hidden secret, so worth knowing about if you need a caffeine fix.

One of the larger W H Smith stores selling media, magazines, stationery, books, cards etc.
The problem with this store is that because it sells a bit of everything it suffers from not having any extensive ranges. For example, HMV is a few doors up selling a much larger range (and often cheaper) of media, Clintons is next door for cards and Borders and Waterstones are not far away for a bigger book choice. However, for those wanting a quick one stop shop — this may be it.