‘Next is the new Zara’ says millennial fashion editor, from viral sell-outs to timeless pieces that will last a lifetime

WHEN I used to think of Next, I’d automatically think of my mum. 

Not only did it seem safe and reliable, just like her, but some of my earliest fashion memories involved wearing its clothes – shout out to my favourite yellow halterneck dress! 

Next.co.ukNext’s AW24 Collection[/caption]

I still have fond memories of poring over the Next Directory, the doorstep-sized catalogue that would thud through the letterbox every couple of months. 

Hours would be spent lying on the living room carpet, enthusiastically circling my favourite pieces. 

Icy-blue combat trousers, a white top with rhinestone tiger design on the chest, all topped off with a fluffy shrug, of course. 

With many of the brand’s 500 stores sitting in retail parks, Next is one of the most accessible fashion brands out there. But cool? Not so much. 

Next sells over 1,000 different brandsGetty

While other high-street giants such as Marks & Spencer, Zara and H&M have been celebrated by fashion insiders for their designer dupes and on-trend looks at reasonable prices, Next often seemed consigned to the style sidelines, suitable only for workwear basics, sixth-form suits or cosy jammies. 

But not any more.

Over the past few years, Next has been pushing the style envelope – and it’s now paying off. 

Here at Fabulous, our Fashion Team is wearing more from Next than ever before – from Fashion Director Tracey, who can’t get enough of its head-to-toe tailored looks, to me in my new rugby top and Fashion Editor Clemmie in the brand’s new season suede jacket. 

Celebrity stylists are increasingly dressing their clients in clobber from Next, too. 

This Morning’s Head of Fashion, Amber Jackson, regularly decks out the likes of Lisa Snowdon, the daytime TV show’s resident fashion expert, in the brand’s latest pieces. 

Meanwhile, influencers can’t stop gushing about the brand’s recent glow-up on social media. 

One of the best-known, Perrie Sian, recently told her 1.6 million Instagram followers: “Next is having a rebirth, you heard it here first, Next is here to take over.” 

In fact, #nexttryonhaul has amassed more than 31.6 million views on TikTok, with shoppers and creators all falling for the charms of the British high-street staple. 

NextRochelle Humes is just one of the famous faces that work with Next[/caption]

Those cool credentials have translated into bumper profits, too. 

In a world where Covid decimated the UK high street, with former big-hitters Debenhams, Ted Baker and BHS closing their shutters for good, Next has been thriving. 

It is now on track to make a staggering £1billion profit this year – a whopping £15million more than predicted. Overseas sales are soaring too, up 23 per cent in the six months to July. 

So just how did Next go from frumpy to fashion powerhouse? 

If you’re in the market for a classic white shirt, work bag, or sensible court heels, they’re still on offer. 

But over the last few years, Next’s collections have featured more and more designer-led pieces. 

I currently have my eye on a brown faux-suede jacket – a must-have trend for this season – but currently out of stock after going viral (eagle-eyed fashion fans couldn’t stop posting about its designer-inspired look) and is even being sold on Vinted for £50. 

My notifications are poised and ready for when – fingers crossed – it comes back in my size. 

As well as diversifying into homeware and beauty, with every big name from Gucci to GHD, Next has also started selling a carefully curated selection of top brands including Reiss, The Kooples, and Barbour. 

Its online shopping model is as slick as they come, with great delivery options,  including unlimited next-day delivery for £22.50 a year, plus it has a savvy social-media game that has seen it embrace influencers and TikTok, – and has helped it appeal to Gen Z and millennial shoppers.

All those high-profile celebrity partnerships haven’t done the store any harm either, with national treasures Myleene Klass, Emma Willis and Rochelle Humes all on board. 

TV presenter Rochelle’s edits of everything from partywear to high-summer pieces have proved a huge hit and frequently sell out, making the brand the place to go for smart tailoring, elevated basics and statement co-ords. 

Its kidswear ranges – which are noticeably more trend-led than they used to be – are also exploding in popularity, with a 27 per cent spike in sales this year. 

No wonder Next won the Best For All The Family gong at our Fabulous Fashion Awards last month. 

With booming sales and ever-increasing style points, it’s clear Next will be around for a long time to come, which pleases me – and my mum – greatly. 

Take a look below at our Fabulous Fashion team’s current top picks…

Abby McHale, 30, Deputy Fashion Editor

Abby’s top picks from Next

Red cardigan, £54, Next – BUY NOW

Gilet, £38, Next – BUY NOW

Scarf, £20, Next – BUY NOW

Fleece, £72, Next – BUY NOW

Bag, £38, Next – BUY NOW

Clemmie Fieldsend, 34 Fashion Editor 

Clemmie’s top picks from Next

Coat, £110, Next – BUY NOW

Shoes, £49, Next – BUY NOW

Jeans, £48, Next – BUY NOW

White shirt, £75, Next – BUY NOW

Bag, £95, Next – BUY NOW

Tracey Lea Sayer, 53, Fashion Director

Tracey’s top picks from Next

Black bag, £28, Next- BUY NOW

Jumper, £42, Next – BUY NOW

Suede ankle boots, £65, Next –BUY NOW

Suede jacket, £280, Next – BUY NOW

Jeans, £32, Next –BUY NOW

Emily Regan, 25, Fashion Assistant

Emily’s top picks from Next

Suede jacket, £190, Next – BUY NOW

Jumper, £35, Next – BUY NOW 

Dress, £39, Next – BUY NOW

Shoes, £39, Next – BUY NOW

Coat, £82, Next – BUY NOW

Why is Next a powerhouse in British retail?

By Business Editor Ashley Armstrong

Next is a powerhouse of British retail because it is often a few steps ahead of the rest of its rivals. 
Much of its success lies in its long-standing leadership by boss Lord Simon Wolfson, who originally joined the retailer in 1991, where his father the late David Wolfson had been chief executive. 
Unlike other high street names who have burnt through a string of bosses and flip flopping strategies, Wolfson has run Next for the past 23 years and takes a long term view on everything.
The strength of Next stems from its roots as a catalogue business when it had Next Direct . While M&S made the grave error of ditching online in 2000 for seven years,, Next used its catalogue customer database, lorries and warehouses that delivered to Direct households to give it a huge headstart when it came to working out how to do online. M&S by comparison has only recently started to catch up.
The second big advantage was when Next made the decision in 2017 to sell third-party brands, not just Next clobber. 
At the time it was a very controversial move and almost an admission that maybe Next’s fashions weren’t appealing enough..
It turned out to be a masterstroke, because while Next has always been for the mass-market, it suddenly had a whole lot more customers coming to its website for other things too. Customers also used Next’s credit offer before Buy Now Pay Later took off.
Next now sells over 1,000 different brands on its website and last year made £3.1 billion in online sales alone.
Every year Next makes 75,000 different products – but it doesn’t chase after the season’s “must have item” but focuses on having broad appeal with affordable items
More recently, Next has been using its online strength to swoop on struggling high street rivals. It now owns Reiss, Fat Face, Joules, JojoMamanbebe and the rights to Cath Kidston. 
Unlike the old traditions of high street retail, Next no longer relies on store openings to boost its sales. Instead, it focuses on having shops with the highest number of shoppers, which typically these days are on retail parks. It doesn’t do vanity projects, like flagship City stores. Instead Wolfson makes sure every single shop in its estate of 458 stores makes a profit. Next has regularly shown that being in the black is always in fashion.