Next is planning an ambitious expansion that will see the Britishfashion giant become an online host for other brands.
The retailer’s CEO Simon Wolfson told the Telegraph that the company hasbeen “quietly” building a platform over the past year that will allow it torun other fashion brands’ websites and back-end operations.
Brands will then pay Next a fixed percentage of sales for the service, called Total Platform.
According to the Telegraph, Next has already tested the platform via aseparate website for upmarket children’s clothes, called Little Label. Ithas also reportedly signed an unnamed retailer, turning over around 30million pounds via the service.
“The website will have their URL, it will look and feel like theirwebsite, they will design it, they will have creative control over it, butit will link into all the other elements of our platform in exactly thesame way as our own website does,” Wolfson told the Telegraph.
“What that means is, not only will we run their website, but we willalso do all their warehousing, distribution, returns, call centre work,customer credit, international sites, we will do absolutely everything thatis involved with selling to customers.”
Next to launch new Total Platform service
Wolfson, who is known as an ambitious and forward-thinking force inBritish retail, is betting on the platform in a landscape where more andmore brands are looking to launch or reinforce their online presence.
He continued: “In five years’ time you may look back and say ‘I rememberthat Total Platform’ business and it may have come to nothing other thanprovide one client with a great business. On the other hand, it could beone of those ideas that in five years’ time people will look back and go,‘oh my gosh, that was an important moment’.
“Everyone was worrying about coronavirus and no one noticed the launchof this service, but this is a ground-breaking operation in the UK thatcould be important to the group.”
The news comes after the company announced last week the launch of itsnew The Beauty Hall format in five shuttered Debenhams’ sites.
Photo credit: Next image gallery
