WHSmith expands AI calling through its store headsets

WHSmith is expanding x-hoppers across more than 300 UK stores, starting with 32 priority locations. The 27 October announcement says its Heathrow Terminal 5 flagship is live, with AI enabling staff to switch broadcasts and call particular colleagues.[1]

The pilot began at Manchester Piccadilly in late 2025. According to x-hoppers, customers have since made almost 1,000 requests for help through QR codes. Those requests and the AI voice commands reach the same store communication platform.[1]

Calling someone and claiming a request

The headset guide explains the calling sequence: activate the assistant, hold the talk button and say the colleague’s name or employee number. The system then places the call. This dial-by-name function requires administrator setup. It gives a spoken request a specific destination without the employee searching a phone directory.[2]

QR assistance follows a different path. A scan triggers a notification; an employee accepts it with a double press of the talk button. The system tells the shared broadcast who is handling the request. That acknowledgement gives the rest of the team information they need to avoid duplicating the response.[2]

A channel that can extend beyond a headset

The wider x-hoppers product combines dedicated DECT headsets with a mobile app. Headsets use installed base stations; the app uses Wi-Fi or a mobile connection. The app can join store broadcasts, place direct calls and display AI transcriptions. These are platform capabilities; the WHSmith announcement specifically describes headsets and a head-office web app.[3][1]

Different devices can therefore serve different working positions. A store colleague can keep the conversation in an earpiece, while someone joining remotely can use a screen. The product’s shared communication channel provides the connection between them.[3]

At Heathrow, WHSmith’s smaller satellite stores now share the wider team’s airside broadcast, extending that connection across separate shop locations.[1]

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