NEXT... one brand with three ways of shopping.
Over 400 stores nationwide, or from home with the NEXT Directory by phone and online.
NEXT clothes and home furnishings are exclusively designed to offer style, quality and value for money with a contemporary fashion edge.
Next Established 1982.
Next Retail Ltd.
Desford Road,
Enderby,
Leicester.
LE19 4AT
Telephone : 0845 600 7333
Background / History of Next
The launch of the NEXT retail chain in February 1982 had a major influence on High Streets throughout the UK, shaping the future of fashion retailing. The continued success of NEXT's unique and innovative shopping concept has provided the company with an outstanding record of achievement in a comparatively short period of time.
The first store opened with an exclusive co-ordinated collection of stylish clothes, shoes and accessories for women. Collections for men, children and the home quickly followed. NEXT clothes are styled by the in-house design team to offer consistency of style, quality and value for money with a contemporary fashion edge.
Today NEXT trades from over 450 stores in the UK and Eire and 100 franchise stores overseas. Over the last few years several larger format stores have opened across the UK and, in October 2005, NEXT opened the anchor store at the Manchester Arndale Centre with a store in excess of 80,000 square feet.
The ground-breaking mail order operation NEXT Directory launched in 1988 with a hardback book containing 350 pages, creating the blueprint for catalogue retailing. There are over 1100 pages in the Autumn/Winter 2006 book offering extensive collections for men, women, children and everything for the well dressed home. Online shopping was introduced in 1999 and the entire book is available to shop from on the internet, page by page - another first in Home Shopping in the UK.
NEXT continues to improve customer service introducing new initiatives such as next day delivery as standard for NEXT Directory orders placed before 5pm. Customers may collect or return unwanted items at any of 450 stores nationwide should this be more convenient and a new in-house delivery service has been set up to deliver large Home items with the ability to deliver at weekends. As well as ordering on-line, customers are able to check their accounts and make payments this way.
Chronology
| 1864 | J Hepworth & son, Gentleman's Tailors was established in Leeds. |    |
| 1981 | Hepworth bought the chain of Kendalls rainwear shops to develop a Womenswear group of shops called NEXT. | |
| 1982 | The first NEXT womenswear store was opened on 12th February. There were 70 shops by the end of July. |
|
| 1984 | Launch of NEXT for Men in August. By December there were 52 shops. The first mini department store in Edinburgh opened incorporating womenswear, menswear, shoes and a café. |
|
| 1985 | Launch of NEXT Interiors range of soft furnishings for the home in August. First department store with womenswear, menswear and interiors opened in Regent Street, London. |
|
| 1986 | Parent company, J Hepworth & Son changed its name to NEXT plc. Acquisition of Grattan plc (mail order company). |
|
| 1987 | Launch of NEXT childrenswear. | |
| 1988 | Launch of NEXT Directory in January. David Jones appointed Chief Executive of NEXT plc. |
|
| 1990 | Lord Wolfson of Sunningdale became Chairman of NEXT plc. | |
| 1991 | Sale of Grattan to Otto Versand. | |
| 1993 | NEXT announces brand strategy of 'One Brand Two Ways of Shopping', bringing together the common ranges across both retail and home shopping formats. | |
| 1994 | NEXT now trading from 300 stores in 16 countries worldwide. | |
| 1995 | Successful relaunch of NEXT for the Home. | |
| 1998 | Sir Brian Pitman appointed as Chairman. | |
| 1999 | Launch of shopping on the internet from the NEXT Directory at www.next.co.uk. | |
| 2000 | Next day delivery introduced as standard for orders placed before 5pm with the NEXT Directory. | |
| 2001 | Several new larger stores opened. Launch of www.nextflowers.co.uk. Simon Wolfson appointed Chief Executive. |
|
| 2002 | Internet speed disk introduced in March. David Jones appointed Chairman. |
|
| 2003 | NEXT opens new larger format stores in Nottingham, Birmingham, Dudley and Newcastle Gateshead together with a large Home store at Glasgow Braehead. | |
| 2004 | NEXT opens first Scandinavian store in Denmark offering menswear, womenswear and childrenswear. | |
| 2005 | NEXT Home launches Wedding List Service. | |
| 2006 | John Barton appointed Chairman. Launch of www.nextelectric.co.uk. |
Next and the Next Directory