Iconic British retailer WHSmith has left customers in bewilderment as it declared a name change after over two centuries of trading.

In an unexpected turn, the popular high street chain will transform its identity following a £76 million buyout by Modella Capital, the owners of Hobbycraft. The agreement, announced on Friday (March 28), signifies the end of an era for WHSmith – the brand established by Henry Walton Smith and his wife, Anna, in 1792.

The change will see a new chapter begin,…