TG Jones, the high street chain formerly known as WHSmith, has confirmed the closure of its only store in Cambridge. The branch on Market Street will shut for good on Monday, September 14 as part of the company's wider restructuring plan, and a closing down sale with up to 30% off some items has been launched.
The Cambridge store is one of around 450 TG Jones branches across the UK, with up to 150 slated for closure after the High Court approved a plan in July for the firm to close down branches to avoid insolvency. The chain was sold for £76 million to private equity firm Modella Capital in June 2025 before being rebranded to TG Jones. WHSmith still operates its profitable travel branches in airports, train stations, and hospitals.
Locals react to the closure
Residents have responded to the news on social media, with many agreeing that the closure will be a loss to the city centre. Commenting on a post on the Seen in Cambridge Facebook page, Ian Brown wrote: "The magazine market will really miss TGJones - there’s nowhere else that they are on sale."
Nigel Perry added: "The death knell of newsagents catering for specialist magazines. A university town like Cambridge i cant understand the thinking behind this. Will have to take out subscriptions." Jeannet Weurman wrote: "Sadly the staff will lose their jobs, I was told. No redeployment. I loved WH Smith. I wonder if TG Jones was just asset stripping and never intended it to be sustainable long term."
Other closures and sales
Chris Fensome put: "It's sad it is going, I think all the magazine publishers are now getting worried. There was a message in one I buy suggesting people subscribe but that is not always reliable and the post takes forever to arrive."
Sites in Bath, Truro, Inverness, Swindon and Southend-on-Sea have already confirmed their closure. The TG Jones store in Southend-on-Sea will shut on September 26, while the shop in Swindon has launched a closing down sale with stock reduced by up to 30%.
