Editing Next plc (section)

===Kendall's and Next===
In 1981, the company bought womenswear retailer [[Kendall & Sons]] for £1.75 million from the retail conglomerate Combined English Stores. This gave Hepworth over 600 shops in British high streets.<ref>Rosemary Unworth, "Hepworth Buys CES Offshoot", ''[[The Times]]'', 12 May 1981, p. 18</ref>

The intention was to redevelop Kendall's stores as a womenswear chain of shops to complement Hepworth as a chain of menswear stores. Designer [[Terence Conran]] was Chairman of Hepworth at that time, and recruited [[George Davies (retailer)|George Davies]] to work at Kendall's. However, Davies's concept was to create a new chain, called Next, initially by converting Kendall's stores. The first Next shops opened on 12 February 1982, with the Kendall's conversion complete by the end of 1983.<ref name="history" />

[[File:Next - Oxford Street 1.jpg|thumb|left|A branch of Next showing the old logos on [[Oxford Street]] in London in 2005]]
Appointed chief executive in 1984, Davies then converted 50 Hepworth stores to the Next format, extending the range to cover menswear. This allowed the development of mini department stores selling women's and men's clothes. This was added to by the introduction of Next interiors to stores which were deemed in the "right demographical areas." In 1986, Davies moved the group's headquarters from Leeds to [[Leicester]], to be closer to the main garment manufacturers, and the company name was changed to Next plc.<ref name="history" />

In 1987, the group acquired Combined English Stores and the Grattan catalogue company. Extending first to introduce Next childrenswear, Davies then introduced the Next Directory.<ref>{{Cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/hilaryalexander/5330512/Woodstock-theme-for-21st-Anniversary-of-Next-Directory.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090521140819/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/hilaryalexander/5330512/Woodstock-theme-for-21st-Anniversary-of-Next-Directory.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=21 May 2009 | location=London | work=The Daily Telegraph | title=Woodstock theme for 21st Anniversary of Next Directory | first=Hilary | last=Alexander | date=15 May 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thecatalogshop.co.uk/nextdirectory1990.php |title=Next Directory – a background history on Next |publisher=Thecatalogshop.co.uk |access-date=12 October 2010}}</ref>

By 1988, "after seven years of growth, Next had over-expanded suicidally" .. "some stores were not bringing in enough to pay the rent."<ref name="indy">{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/return-of-the-fashion-maverick-1577671.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220618/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/return-of-the-fashion-maverick-1577671.html |archive-date=18 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Return of the fashion maverick|work=The Independent |location=UK |date=15 October 1995 |access-date=12 October 2010  | first=George | last=Davies}}</ref> Davies was sacked and the share price fell to 7p.<ref name="indy" /> Chairman Sir David Jones accused Davies of being egotistical and taking Next to the verge of bankruptcy.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/7783020/George-Davis-to-open-60-branch-chain-in-Gulf.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/7783020/George-Davis-to-open-60-branch-chain-in-Gulf.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=George Davis to open 60-branch chain in Gulf|work=Daily Telegraph |location=UK |date=30 May 2010|access-date=30 May 2010  | first=Andrew | last=Cave}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

[[File:Manchester Arndale Corporation Street Withy Grove.jpg|thumb|Next at [[Manchester Arndale]]]]
[[File:Christmas decorations, Trinity Leeds (21st December 2015) 003.JPG|thumb|Next at [[Trinity Leeds]]]]
In October 1988, Next sold 433 jewellery stores in the United Kingdom, which principally traded under the Salisburys and Zales brands, to the [[Signet Jewelers|Ratners Group]] for US$232 million.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/10/12/business/company-news-next-plc-to-sell-stores-to-ratners.html |title=Next P.L.C. to Sell Stores to Ratners |access-date=20 April 2013 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=12 October 1988}}</ref>

The company bought the youth brand [[Lipsy Ltd.|Lipsy]] in 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2008/oct/03/next.retail |title=Next splashes £17m on youth brand Lipsy |website=[[TheGuardian.com]] |date=3 October 2008 |access-date=25 November 2012}}</ref> In autumn 2009, Next launched an online catalogue for the United States offering clothing, shoes and accessories for women, men and children.<ref name="direct">{{cite web |url=http://www.nextdirect.com/ |title=Next Direct |publisher=Next Direct |access-date=12 October 2010}}</ref>

Next's prices in Ireland attracted criticism in 2009 when the company was one of four retailers accused of failing to pass on exchange rate savings to shoppers in the Republic.<ref name="IT">{{cite news |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/pricewatch/2009/01/12/price-is-still-not-right/ |title=Price is still not right |newspaper=[[The Irish Times]] |date=12 January 2009 |access-date=12 October 2010}}</ref>

In July 2010, a [[BBC]] investigation found Next was breaking the [[Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000]] by billing customers for its delivery costs even if goods were returned within the seven working days.<ref name="law">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10560466 |publisher=BBC News |title=Next breaks refund rules for online deliveries |author=Susannah Streeter |date=9 July 2010 |access-date=30 August 2010}}</ref> A spokesman for Next admitted that they had been doing this for three years but promised to comply by August 2010.<ref name="law" /> [[Trading Standards]] said that the DSRs had been in force for ten years, and there was no excuse for not adhering to them.<ref name="law" />

In 2014, Next launched localised cross-border sales to [[Ukraine]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://uadn.net/2014/11/20/uk-fashion-retailer-next-launches-localized-cross-border-sales-to-ukraine/ |title=UK fashion retailer Next launches localized cross-border sales to Ukraine |date=20 November 2014 |access-date=26 March 2016}}</ref>