Two Next Home & Garden branches to open this year

Home and fashion chain Next has confirmed it plans a garden centre at a new home store in Warrington, as revealed by Horticulture Week last year.

The retail giant plans 19 stores will open over the next four years.

The move follows the successful trial of Next’s first department store in Shoreham, West Sussex last August.

Chief executive Lord Wolfson said he plans to open at least two more by the end of the year ahead, one near Ipswich the other near Warrington. Another is planned for Cardiff.

The out-of-town sites will sell mens and womens fashion, childrenswear, shoes along with kitchen wares and furnishings. Several will also have garden centres.

Wolfson said: ‘These are mini-department stores. In August we opened a new large store in Shoreham which has proven extremely successful.

'The store consists of a fashion and a home shop, sitting side-by-side, on one stand-alone site with its own car park.

‘The Home part of the shop carries an extended range which includes light DIY products and a small garden centre. We have identified 19 other sites around the UK where we would ideally like to open similar stores.

‘However we expect progress to be slow as almost all of these sites require planning permission. We will open at least two more in the year ahead, one near Ipswich the other near Warrington.’

Source : Matthew Appleby – Horticulture Week
www.hortweek.com