In UK retail, especially fashion and sport retail, the big are getting bigger and Next is enthusiastically embracing the supersize trend. The company has just opened its brand new flagship store at Lakeside Shopping Centre in Essex — and it’s big.
In fact, at 83,000 sq ft, the expansive new space marks one of the largest stores in Next’s portfolio, and includes a FatFace concession.
It comes as a wide range of major names open ever-larger stores at key malls and this isn’t the only big store Next is planning. Across the river in Bluewater, Kent, it’s taken over the entire space once occupied by a sizeable House of Fraser department store, with works there to reinvent it still ongoing.
As for Lakeside, as mentioned, the new “concept store” includes a FatFace concession — the first-ever within a Next store — alongside dedicated spaces for Bath & Body Works and Costa Coffee, “making it a one-stop destination for fashion, lifestyle, and wellness,” the company said.
In a prime position within Lakeside, the store has six customer entrances, including a direct link to the newly reopened Multi-Storey Car Park 2. It features all key Next departments — Womenswear, Menswear, Childrenswear, and Home, as well as integrated fashion brands.
It also has expansive atriums and skylights “for abundant natural light”, and fitting rooms “with increased privacy and space”, while the company said the overall design means the interiors promote “exploration and comfort”.
