Next (Next)

Member Name: Mrs-LT

Product:	Next
Date:	07/02/09 (36 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: The sales!

Disadvantages: The babywear is ridiculous

I am not a fan of Next in general for a few reasons which I will explain below, but the thing with this shop is that it sells so many different things that I think it would be very difficult to just simply say you do not like it. There MUST be something good about it for everyone, I just don't see how there could not be.

THE SALES
Firstly, let's start with the famous Next Sale. They do a sale like nobody else does and everybody else should (except the 5am opening which I really detest and find pointless). They reduce almost everything - the whole shop goes into the sale. I have friends who literally visit the day before the sale, try on what they want and return at 5am to buy them for half the price they would have paid the day before. Amazing! I have never seen a shop do a sale with such enthusiam and popularity. The queues at 5am speak for themselves really. You can't try things on but returns are quick and easy so this really is not an issue at all. I love the fact that they are not greedy when it comes to sales - I would rather a shop had no sale than advertised 'SALE' all over the window then in reality just stuck a few items nobody wants in a reduced corner and carried on the rest of the shop as usual. The Next sales are legendary and if you have not experienced one yet then you don't know what you are missing.

NEXT CLEARANCE SHOPS
You can find the Next Clearance shops in discount retail centres such as Dalton Park (County Durham) or Royal Quays (North Tyneside). I will keep this short and say nothing other than do not waste your petrol or bus fare on a visit. Keep in mind my above review of the sales. They get rid of everything there - what is left is literally the junk NOBODY wants. And the shops look like a jumble sale too. Just wait for a sale if you want the Next clothes at a bargain price, there is no need for these Clearance shops.

NEXT CHILDRENSWEAR
Boyswear is awful and chavvy. Crinkly linen yellow shirts with black clip-on ties for 6 month old babies. Need I say more?
Well actually I will say a bit more. The girls' clothes are lovely and if I had a girl I would dress her in lots of outfits from Next. However I have a boy and I never buy clothes from Next. They are overpriced for starters, and also they look like they are shrunken 20-something stylish men's clothes (think tumble dryer effect). Seriously, if you don't have a baby just go and have a look at this section for the novelty value it is ridiculous. There are some nice clothes too but I just cannot get past the fact that at least 50% of the stuff is just downright ridiculous. However their sleepsuits are fantastic as they have built-in turnover scratch mitts up to 6 months which are invaluable (see separate review).

MENSWEAR
Clearly I am not a man but they do sell good quality stuff at decent prices. Boxer shorts and socks are great quality and very reasonable.

WOMENSWEAR
They have a dressy section, a workwear section and a casual section, as well as a Petite range. Their clothes (with the exception of workwear) are mainly aimed at 30+ women I would say and their jeans are far from trendy so I give them a wide berth. Their clothes are cut on the generous side so I cannot even get away with the size sixes because they are too big on the bottoms. Tops I find to be OK. They stock clothes from size 8 upwards in the normal range and the Petite range starts at a 6 (I believe it goes up to a size 16).

Workwear and tailoring is cut very well, lined nicely and offers brilliant value for money.

The shoes are not stylish in the least, very much aimed at a more mature market I'd say. There are no bold, breathtaking fashion statements in Next but they do sell nice quality clothes. It is a bit overpriced largely though.

OVERALL
Next is a decent shop if not a one-stop-shop. I could not shop in Next alone but I still like to have a look from time to time. The sales have bumped the rating to 3* for their sheer value for money.

Summary: Something for most people