NEXT RETAIL LTD TELFORD

The Next retail chain was launched in February 1982 and the first store opened with an exclusive coordinated collection of stylish clothes, shoes and accessories for women. Collections for men, children and the home quickly followed. Next clothes are styled by its in-house design team to offer great style, quality and value for money with a contemporary fashion edge.Today Next trades from more than 500 stores in the UK and Eire and over 180 stores in more than 30 countries overseas. Over the last few years several larger format stores have opened across the UK and, in October 2005, Next opened a store at the Manchester Arndale Centre in excess of 80, 000 square feet.The groundbreaking mail order operation Next Directory launched in 1988 with a hardback book containing 350 pages, creating the blueprint for catalogue retailing. There are almost 1, 400 pages in the Spring Summer 2011 book offering extensive collections for men, women, children and everything for the well dressed home.

Online shopping was introduced in 1999. Next Directory now also serves customers in over 35 countries outside the UK through its international website, NextDirect.com. Next continues to improve customer service, introducing new initiatives such as next day delivery as standard for Next Directory orders placed before 9pm. Next Sourcing has operations in mainland China, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, India and the UK engaged in the design, sourcing, buying, merchandising and quality control of Next products. Lipsy designs and sells its own branded younger women's fashion products through retail, internet and wholesale channels.Ventura provides customer services management to clients (including Next Directory) wishing to outsource their customer contact administration and fulfilment activities. It operates six call centres in the UK and one in India, employing around 9, 000 people in total. Ventura was sold to The Capita Group plc on 1 July 2011.