Next plc

The story of Next begins not with a startup, but with a tailor named Joseph Hepworth. In 1864, Hepworth founded J Hepworth & Son in Leeds, a business that would operate for over a century. The company's modern chapter started in 1981 when it acquired the womenswear retailer Kendalls. This acquisition set the stage for a new concept. In February 1982, the first Next store opened, introducing coordinated collections of clothing, shoes, and accessories for women. This was a novel approach at the time. The brand expanded rapidly, launching menswear in 1984, a home interiors range in 1985, and its iconic mail-order service, the Next Directory, in 1988. The late 1980s, however, brought a period of over-expansion that led the company to the brink of collapse. A pivotal moment arrived with the appointment of Sir David Jones, who is credited with orchestrating a major turnaround. He refocused the business, streamlined operations, and set it back on a path to profitability. The company has since become a fixture on the UK high street and a major online retailer. Today, Next plc is a publicly traded company on the London Stock Exchange. Its journey from a single tailor shop to a multi-channel retail giant showcases a remarkable ability to adapt, survive near-failure, and reinvent itself for new generations of shoppers.