Signaling the end of the worst phase of UK’s retail shift from physical to online retail, Simon Wolfson, CEO, Next, announced plans to expand into brick and mortar stores after a gap of almost five years.
According to Wolfson, by January 2026, Next will expand its retail footprint by 0.4 per cent. This would include opening ten new stores, relocating six existing ones, and converting two homeware stores into fashion outlets.
However, despite this expansion, Next expects store sales in 2025-26 to decline by 0.3 per cent. The company’s online sales though are projected to increase by 4.3 per cent during the year, leading to an overall growth of 2.3 per cent in UK sales.
The broader UK retail landscape continues to evolve, with online shopping maintaining a strong presence. The proportion of non-food purchases made online by nation’s consumers rose to 36.4 per cent in February 2025, from 35.8 per cent the previous year, notes British Retail Consortium,
The shopping habits of UK consumers have stabilized, with physical stores continuing to hold relevance alongside e-commerce, states Wolfson. With this strategic expansion, Next positions itself to balance both retail channels while capitalizing on a recovering high street presence.
