WHSmith has become the first travel retailer to partner with GenM, joining more than 120 brands and retailers committed to improving the menopause shopping experience.

Launching this month to coincide with World Menopause Awareness Month, the partnership introduces MTick-certified menopause-friendly products across selected WHSmith travel and hospital stores, including Gatwick North, Birmingham Airport and 31 hospital locations nationwide.

GenM CEO and co-founder Heather Jackson said: “It’s a huge milestone that WHSmith has joined the GenM collective, becoming the first travel retailer in the space to commit to empowering women to find menopause-friendly products on the go.

The MTick, created by GenM, is the world’s only universal symbol for menopause-friendly products, designed to help women identify items that support one or more of the 48 recognised menopause symptoms.

The range includes brands such as Always, Colgate, E45, Optibac, Charles Worthington, Lovehoney and Menopace, along with Canesten’s new menopause-focused line, CanesMeno.

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The rollout aims to address research showing that while 94% of women want clearly labelled menopause products, two-thirds struggle to find them.

“At WHSmith, we’re proud to provide travellers with the products they need, exactly when they need them most, and sometimes, that means recognising the often invisible needs of those experiencing menopause,” said WHSmith commercial director Anna Lloyd.

“By supporting GenM and spotlighting menopause-friendly products across our stores, we’re not only improving the customer experience and helping travellers navigate the recognised signs of menopause on the go; we’re taking another meaningful step forward in how we support our people and the communities we serve.”

WHSmith head of buying for health and beauty Niraj Virji added: “Our mission is to support all of life’s journeys, and an integral part of my role as head of buying is to ensure customers can count on us to find what they need, exactly when they need it on their travels.

Last month, Sainsbury’s became the first UK grocer to launch an own-brand skincare range carrying the MTick symbol.