Director Shareholding

Next PLC
14 July 2004


Next plc

Next ESOP Trust

The Next ESOP Trust has purchased the following Ordinary Shares of 10p each in
Next plc:

Date of Acquisition           No. of Shares           Price per Share

    6 July 2004                  176,779                1414.2081p
    7 July 2004                  150,019                1426.7999p
    8 July 2004                   60,000                   1421p
   13 July 2004                   50,363                1449.0469p

The Next ESOP Trust was established for the benefit of employees of companies in
the Next plc Group.

Executive Directors of Next plc who are participants in the Company share option
schemes are deemed to be discretionary beneficiaries of the Trust and are
consequently considered to be interested in all of the shares held by the Trust
which amount to 8,983,090.

Mr A J R McKinlay
Company Secretary
Next plc






                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange