Director Shareholding

Next PLC
07 January 2005


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

  7 January 2005                500,000                  1631.7410p

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 9,049,097.

Mr A J R McKinlay
Company Secretary
Next plc






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