Five on Brexit Island lifts WH Smith sales as adult colouring books fade

Spoof titles prove strong sellers – but retailer says sales of last year’s Christmas hit have ‘fallen off a cliff’

A comic revival of Enid Blyton’s Famous Five characters gave WH Smith reason for cheer over the key festive trading period.

Strong sales of spoof titles such as Five on Brexit Island, Five Give up the Booze, and the Ladybird for Grown Ups series, helped to lift sales by 1% at stores open for more than a year over the 21 weeks to 21 January. Total sales rose by 2%.

Related: UK retail sales slump in December as inflation bites

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