Next is significantly expanding its presence at Bluewater shopping centre, aiming to enhance its product range for customers.
- The new site will span 133,000 square feet, replacing the current 44,600 square foot store, utilising the former House of Fraser space.
- This expansion supports Next’s omnichannel approach, offering clothing for all ages, homeware, and a café.
- In conjunction, Bath and Body Works will relocate to a nearby 2,000 square foot store, enhancing its accessibility.
- This initiative follows multiple new store openings at Bluewater, including brands like Sephora and Bershka.
Next is undertaking a substantial expansion at Bluewater shopping centre, moving into a 133,000 square foot location formerly occupied by House of Fraser. This move is set to transform the retail landscape, allowing Next to significantly broaden its product offering across men’s, women’s, and children’s fashion, as well as homeware and dining with an in-store café.
This strategic expansion aligns with Next’s omnichannel strategy, which integrates physical stores with online retail operations to provide a seamless shopping experience for customers. By enlarging the store, Next enhances its capacity to deliver a varied product range, catering to diverse customer needs and preferences.
Complementing this move, the US-based Bath and Body Works brand will be situated in an adjacent 2,000 square foot store, improving its market presence at Bluewater. This relocation aligns with efforts to maximise retail opportunities within this prominent shopping destination.
The expansion is part of a broader trend at Bluewater, marked by a series of new brand installations and store expansions, including notable names such as Sephora, Pull & Bear, Aesop, and Bershka set to open by year-end. The head of brand account management at Landsec, Pablo Sueiras, remarked, ‘The best brands are investing in bigger, better stores in prime locations.’ He added that Next’s new store would ‘transform a department store into a new destination within Bluewater and enhance the shopping experience for the millions of guests who visit each year.’
This move by Next follows an upward revision of its profit forecasts, driven by a 7.6% increase in sales in its third quarter, outperforming previous guidance. The surge in sales is attributed in part to an early cold snap, which boosted demand for seasonal clothing.
Next’s Bluewater expansion underscores its commitment to enhancing customer experiences through strategic growth.
