Transaction in Own Shares

Next PLC
16 March 2005

Next plc

Off-market purchases by way of contingent purchase contract by the Company of
ordinary shares for cancellation

Next plc announces that, pursuant to the contingent forward purchase contract it
entered into with Goldman Sachs International on 1 December 2004, it has today
purchased 50,000 ordinary shares for cancellation at a price of 1575 pence per
share.

A J R McKinlay
Company Secretary
Next plc


Editorial note:

Under the contingent contract, the Company may purchase a fixed number of shares
each week (other than in the weeks ending 22 and 29 December 2004), in the
period to 29 June 2005, at a fixed price that is at a discount to the market
price prevailing at the start of the contract period. The contract is contingent
in that it would terminate early, and no further shares would be purchased, if
the Company's share price increases to a pre-determined suspension level during
the contract period. This suspension level has been set at the start of the
contract and is between 104% and 110% of the Company's share price at the start
of the contract.

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