WH Smith has opened a pilot store at Leeds city station offering customers everything from email facilities to airline and rail tickets - plus the chance to buy any book from the 1.3m currently in print, for collection as your plane touches down.

If the trial is successful WH Smith plans to export the concept of books.co around the world. The group is already one of the biggest global airport chains and is working on plans for a second books.co outlet for Chicago.

The initiative is just the latest in a series of e-commerce ventures for WH Smith, which is attempting to cash in on the strength of its traditional brand name. The chain last year generated substantial enthusiasm among analysts and investors, when it first announced its web plans, and its shares peaked at 792p. But they have since fallen back rapidly to 315p and the group has even been touted as a possible takeover target.

WH Smith now claims to be the only retailer in the world to offer its wares through all possible retail channels - the high street, the internet, interactive television and the new generation of Wap (wireless application protocol) technology.

The company currently has 10% of the UK online book market, which is thought to be worth some £55m, but is committed to winning 20% within three years.

The total UK book market - of which WH Smith controls about 25% - is valued at around £1.2bn.

It hopes to boost its online sales further with the introduction this week of its full range of stationery products to cyber-buyers.

The new Leeds books.co store is believed to have shot through initial sales targets - partly due to the fact that it is located just a few minutes' walk from a nurses' home. Student nurses have been using the service to order speciality textbooks, which would normally take weeks to arrive or require a visit to a specialist medical bookshop.