Next Plc as a Major Company Dealing in Retail Fashion Clothing - Essay Example

This paper illustrates that Next plc does business in the following major domains: retail stores that sell a variety of products, but the major one among them being clothes, catalog sales, and customer support services through ‘Ventura’. The company designs, manufactures and sells clothes under the brand name ‘Next’ and targets people between the age group of 20 to 40. Since its expansion drive in 1999, the company had to close down the international outlets that were managed by it directly and has since then concentrated on franchising options for the overseas markets.

It operates in well over 20 different countries. Since 1999, the company’s primary activities have been progressing along two major sections namely retail clothing and catalog sales. The retail section of the company contributes to around two-thirds of the company’s income. It was around £821 million in 1999. Moreover, the company has also adopted the policy of closing down smaller stores and has been in favor of opening superstores. Under its ‘Next catalog’ banner, the company offers the service of enabling customers to order products using a catalog, after which the purchased products are delivered to the customer’s home.

In fact, this method of shopping (under the next brand) has become ingrained in the minds of the common Briton. One of the primary differences between other companies and next happens to be the fact that the latter focuses on the middle-class customers. It designs and markets affordable clothes that are contemporary unlike other retail houses such as Marks & Spencer that produces fashionable garments under various brand names. Likewise, the company has also adopted the policy of designing its clothes under its watchful eye, but in an attempt to cut down costs, it has been getting the goods produced in countries such as China, where the cost of production is comparatively much cheaper.

The production operations are handled by the company’s house in Hong Kong. The company has also started offering financial services under the next brand credit financing. In spite of these branches, retail and catalog sales continue to be the two main contributors to the company’s revenues.