WHSmith will introduced digital communications system, x-hoppers, to more than 300 UK stores after a pilot delivered sales increases of up to 22 per cent in selected categories.
The retailer is initially introducing x-hoppers, a store communications platform from Wildix, across 32 priority locations. Its flagship store at Heathrow Terminal 5 is now live.
The system combines wireless headsets for store colleagues with software that allows head office and store teams to communicate, send alerts and manage requests.
It also uses QR codes in stores to allow customers to request assistance from colleagues. The requests are sent directly to employees’ headsets, enabling staff to respond without customers having to find a member of the team.
During the pilot, which began in late 2025 at WHSmith’s Manchester Piccadilly station store, more than 43,000 notifications were sent to colleagues’ headsets.
These included store alerts, fridge and freezer monitoring, scheduled team messages and requests from customers using QR codes.
Customers made almost 1,000 requests for assistance through the QR codes during the pilot.
The QR codes can also be used by delivery drivers to contact store teams directly, helping to reduce delays when making deliveries.
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WHSmith director of operations Karl Stakes said the system helped colleagues respond to customers more quickly, particularly during busy trading periods.
The rollout will also allow WHSmith to connect its existing in-store alert systems with colleagues’ headsets, while scheduled messages and broadcasts can be sent across multiple sites.
At Heathrow Terminal 5, smaller satellite stores can now receive the same airside broadcasts as the wider store team.
The retailer said the technology was integrated with its existing IT infrastructure and adapted to its store operations, with colleagues using it for activities including customer service and shift handovers.
The platform also includes AI functionality that allows colleagues to access store broadcasts and contact specific team members, while providing managers with data insights on store activity.
WHSmith’s wider rollout comes as retailers increasingly look to improve communication between head office and frontline teams while reducing the number of manual processes involved in running stores.
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