Founded in 1982, Next is a UK-based retailer of fashion and accessories for men, women and children with a chain of over 500 stores throughout the UK and Ireland plus an online/mail order business called Next Directory. Next also has an international presence trading from nearly 200 stores in over 40 overseas countries.

Next is positioned in the Middle sector of the clothing/footwear market, with focus on Assured Safe fashion, and is a private limited company.

Next trades both in town and out-of-town/non-high street formats, and over the last few years several larger format stores have opened across the UK, including its own dedicated Home stores offering a full range of homewares.

In October 2008, Next bought womens fashion chain Lipsy, which designs and sells its own branded younger women's fashion products through retail, internet and wholesale channels.

The parent company of Next is Next plc which is listed on the London Stock Exchange.