ONE of the country’s best-known and loved high street shopping brands disappeared from Wellington town centre on Wednesday (August 27).

Stationer and book store WH Smith has become TG Jones following a £52 million buy-out of much of the chain in March of this year.

Planning permission was granted by Somerset Council for new fascia and hanging signs for the Fore Street premises, positioned between Greggs and Superdrug.

And contractors overnight on Tuesday into Wednesday removed the WH Smith branding and replaced it with the new name.

WH Smith, which has been trading for 230 years and had more than 1,200 stores nationwide and abroad, was bought by Modella Capital, which also purchased Hobbycraft last year.

Modella said it would be ‘business as usual’ for the Wellington premises while it introduced changes to the store.

It said the name ‘TG Jones’ had been chosen in order to retain the ‘sense of family’ which people had come to associate with ‘WH Smith’.

A number of WH Smith branches around the country which were not sold will keep the brand name, including stores located in airports, railway stations, and hospital sites, and internationally.

Modella plans to add new product ranges for TG Jones, and will keep any Toys ‘R’ Us and Post Office Counters concessions.

A spokesperson for WH Smith said: “While profitable and cash generative, the UK high street business has become an increasingly smaller part of the WH Smith Group.

“This transaction is consistent with the group's strategic focus on travel retail and creates a pure play global travel retailer which is well positioned to capture the substantial global growth opportunities in its key markets and drive enhanced shareholder value.”

A Modella spokesperson said: “Our approach focusses on allowing management teams to lead the way, with our advice and direction always on hand.”