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WHSmith Partners since 2014

Revolutionising the Digital Backbone for Leading High-street Brand

WHSmith started out back in the late 1700s as a family-run newsagent and has gone on to become the first retail chain in the world.

With over 600 high street stores operating across the country, and many more in airport stores worldwide, WHSmith is both the leading retail group as well as a household name.

The WHSmith business operations platform needed to be more intuitive for its 12,000 users, able to provide the relevant tools and resources required for the efficient and effective operations of its many stores. WHSmith worked with Cantarus to deliver a completely restructured digital platform that would transform their way of working for the future. We have been collaborating with WHSmith since 2014, providing ongoing support and development and maintaining a strong relationship.

WHSmith’s outdated intranet solution was negatively impacting workplace productivity. The lack of advanced search functionality and the additional stability issues faced rendered the site unusable at times. We wanted to encompass a new design that was a nod to the original platform but minimised any disruption during the transition period. It was key that we retained existing functionality while making the platform accessible for all.

Our main priority was to completely revamp the search system, transforming it from something fairly basic into a fully functioning content-sharing platform. We developed a fully integrated search that seamlessly draws data from multiple locations, including all of WHSmith’s legacy IT systems and directories. The new search is a now one-stop-shop where users can find anything they require, massively impacting the whole operational efficiency.

With all of the site’s content migrated and indexed, WHSmith now has a highly organised sitewide taxonomy that provides a solid platform for any future content additions. We also built a user management system that allows store managers to manage user privileges and permissions for certain applications, and discreetly handle any unsuitable content.

With a more modern responsive design, the platform can be accessed via smartphone, tablet and till screens as well as desktop, with some resources available out-of-office, on-the-go. This more dynamic way of working has immensely improved productivity.

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We needed a solution that would incorporate all of our existing internal systems without downtime or loss of functionality. Cantarus exceeded our expectations in delivering this level of integration.

Faye Sherman Head of Business Analysis & PMO

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Want to know more?

Our Chief Operating Officer, Mike Cundall, would love to chat with you about your digital needs.
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