The biggest fashion brands in the world: Next plc – History and offer

Next plc is the world’s largest fashion retailer. It operates in Europe, the Americas and the Asia-Pacific region, being present in 20 countries around the world. Founded by David Jones and John Peace on November 10, 1974 as Next Limited, it was renamed Next plc on April 12, 1986. Today, more than 700 stores operate in these regions, including brands such as NEXT Directory, Outfit (formerly Dorothy Perkins), Miss Selfridge and BHS. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is included in the FTSE 100 index. Next has been under Lord Wolfson’s leadership since August 2002 (previously he was with Asda) [and became president in May 2009]. In 2018, it recorded an increase in sales by 11%. Currently, NEXT employs over 70,000 employees worldwide. The company is currently headquartered in London (UK), but was originally founded in Wrexham (Wales).

The Next plc brand offer includes a wide range of products, including women’s and men’s clothing, footwear for both adults and children, accessories such as bags and belts [and scarves], cosmetics and household goods. The company also has several sub-brands such as Outfit and Miss Selfridge.

Next plc brand’s biggest competition are as follows:

  • Inditex (Zara, Pull & Bear and Bershka)
  • H&M Group (H&M, Monki and Weekday)
  • Marks & Spencer [and Arcadia]

The greatest successes in Next’s history include:

  • Opening of the first store outside the UK (in Ireland)
  • Expansion in Asia (first China and Hong Kong, then Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand). Today they have over 100 stores in these regions. Moreover, China is now their largest market in the world. They currently have 350 stores in mainland China under four different brands – Acquisition of the Oasis brand in 1999. This allowed them to use a new British factory that was more efficient than the previous Next.
  • Introduction of a line for men and women called Autograph (introduced as separate brands) in 2001

The company also has online stores in six different markets: Australia, Canada, China [and Hong Kong], France, Germany and the UK). Additionally, they have mobile applications that allow customers from these countries to quickly shop online using any device, such as a smartphone or tablet, simply by downloading them via iTunes or Google Play. They also offer an app called ‘NEXT Directory’ which is only available for iOS devices and is used by traders all over Europe.

The future of the Next plc brand looks very promising. Over the next three years, it plans to expand its current 700 stores by around 100, mainly in China and France (with a new store planned in Paris). The brand also plans to open more Outfit and Miss Selfridge stores in Europe.

Physical Address

304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124