Trading Update

Next PLC
2 May 2000

                            
                        NEXT plc
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                     Trading update
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On 23 March 2000 NEXT plc announced its results for the
year to January and details of its sales performance in
the first seven weeks of the current financial year.

The company will be meeting with shareholding
institutions prior to its AGM on 17 May and the directors
consider it appropriate to issue today a further
statement.

In the first thirteen weeks of this financial year sales
in NEXT Retail are 9 1/2 per cent. ahead of the previous
year.  Like for like sales in the 278 stores which have
been trading for at least one year are 3 per cent. ahead.
NEXT Directory sales for the first thirteen weeks are 8
per cent. ahead of the previous year.

Taken together, sales for the NEXT Brand are 9 per cent.
ahead of the previous year.

On 23 March 2000 the company also announced, as part of
its ongoing strategy, its intention to buy back up to 10
per cent. of its own shares.  Since that date the company
has purchased 23 million of its shares, representing 6.1
per cent. of those in issue, at a total cost of £117.4
million.