WH Smith Profit Warning Meets £100 ‘Shy Girl’ Resale Frenzy as UK Book Retail Faces Fresh Squeeze
Mia Ballard’s horror novel Shy Girl, recently pulled from shelves, has sparked a surge in online listings—some sellers are asking over £100 per copy. Suddenly, the book’s withdrawal has morphed into a scramble for scarce inventory, just as WH Smith’s travel-retail operation faced its own challenges this week. According to The Bookseller, listings have popped up on platforms like eBay, Vinted, and Facebook Marketplace, with prices well above retail. That jump in resales signals buyers are heading beyond traditional bookshops since Hachette stopped shipping the book. Now, just as that shift unfolds, UK book and travel retailers are grappling with something bigger. WH Smith has lowered its profit outlook and pulled its dividend, flagging that travel woes tied to the