Trading Statement

Next PLC
11 January 2001







Date:         For immediate release, Thursday 11th January 2001





Contact:      David Jones, Chief Executive

              David Keens, Finance Director

              Next plc

              Tel:  [phone]



              Alistair Mackinnon-Musson

              Philip Dennis

              Hudson Sandler

              Tel:  [phone]

              E-Mail:  [e-mail]





                                   NEXT PLC



                    TRADING STATEMENT AUTUMN / WINTER 2000



We reported in our Interim Statement on 12th September that sales for the
first two weeks of August 2000 benefited by the later start to the Summer
Sale, therefore we are reporting on the full price sales performance from 13th
August.



The sales performance of the NEXT Brand for the 19 weeks from Sunday 13th
August to 24th December, which was 134 days this year compared with 132 days
last year, was as follows:



NEXT Retail:     12% higher than last year.  Like-for-like sales in the
                 266 stores which have been trading continuously for at least   
                 one year were 6% ahead.



NEXT Directory:  12% higher than last year.



NEXT Brand:      Retail and Directory combined were 12% higher than last year.



Whilst our sales in the run up to Christmas were good, they were below our
expectations.  As a result, we started our Winter Sale with more stock than
last year which will result in a maximum charge of £4m more than we had
anticipated.  Residual Autumn/Winter 2000 stock will be sold during the coming
year through our Next to Nothing outlets as usual.



Our new Spring ranges have been launched in all NEXT Retail stores and the
Spring/Summer Directory has been sent out to our customers.



NEXT intends to announce its Preliminary Results for the Year to January 2001
on Thursday 22nd March.





                                    -ENDS-