What's happened to Next?

[Runningupthathill82]

Or has it always been so awful and I just haven't noticed?!

Went in today as I had a voucher to spend, and really really struggled to find something even halfway wearable.

Harem pants in hideous designs, "tropical" print T shirts with slogans on, cheap polyester tops in garish colours, leggings galore, office clothes in shiny, nasty fabrics and a raft of Fat Face-esque baggy tops in washed out colours. Even the underwear was horrible and cheap looking.

Is it just me? Or has Next become worse than ever?!

[Allyoucaneat]

Next used to be my go-to shop for jeans and tops. Even something 'nice' for an occasion. It's awful now, I don't know what happened in the last 12-18months but it's really gone downhill and some things are just odd.

The kids range is still lovely though.

[LegoCaltrops]

YANBU. Next has declined massively over the last few years. Quality, visual appeal, type of fabric used, pretty much everything. Their basic range of t-shirts are sometimes ok, but I don't like anything from there now. The last couple of thimgs I bought (a couple of years ago) started to fray & come apart at the seams after just a couple of uses. Money decidedly not well spent. I have Next clothes in better condition from 15 years ago that are in better condition than recent purchases.

I like H&M for cheapish basics now, although their sizing varies enormously so absolutely everything must be tried on prior to purchase.

[SurlyValentine]

I will only buy accessories and kids' clothes from there now. Everything is badly made, their sizing is bizarre and it's very overpriced.

I got a Next voucher for Christmas and have been looking online every couple of weeks to see whether anything grabbed my attention (apart from the Label stuff). Last week I finally admitted defeat and ordered some sunglasses and some boxers for DP, just to use the voucher.

[MitzyLeFrouf]

The only thing I like in Next are their knock off perfumes.

[LoadsaBlusher]

I only buy kids clothing from Next.

[annielostit]

Next used to be the best, but competition forced them to cater for a larger audience.(a manager friend tells me) now it's full of tat.
Like Lego said 15 yrs ago they were great good quality,

[GoofyIsACow]

I flicked through the online catalogue a few weeks ago and thought the same, everything is so frumpy and garish... Polyester sun dresses are not my idea of fun!

[Seeyounearertime]

My GF aid last night that she thinks they'll go the way of BHS soon.
I not sure about that tbh. They have the directory still don't they? I bet loads of people get stuff on credit still.

[OverScentedFanjo]

When I was at college 20 yrs ago, Next was a posh shop. The store was very plush. Lovely sales assistants. Sliver jewellery in a display case, then they made a big deal of wrapping it-tissue paper and a nice bag.

It then went very cheap. It is very cheap fabrics, and washes badly.

Not sure where is good on the high street any more.

[BennyTheBall]

It's so hard to find something that hasn't been ruined by a naff slogan, a gruesome print, an unnecessary pocket, a pointless trim or appliqué or else it's made of 100% polyester.

I like their boys shorts, and that's probably it.

[BennyTheBall]

I don't remember it ever being posh.

[burnishedsilver]

I cant remember the last time I bought anything in Next. I'm not sure if it is me that changed or them.

It definatly was a bit more upmarket in the 80s and early 90s. The quality isn't any better than Primark these days.

[Greengardenpixie]

I don't think its that bad. I dont go into the shop that much but i have a few things that i have bought from the directory. It was never posh and I never ever remember things being wrapped in tissue paper and I have been around long enough to know. All shops have gone down the polyester line. The only difference they charge £££ for it.

[Djangor]

I'm showing my age but I was a student in the late 80s & used to read Vogue in the library & the More dash than cash section often had items from Next. I remember getting my first office skirts there & they were brilliant quality for the price - probably equivalent to Hobbs quality nowadays but much cheaper. My local Next is next to Poundland & its huge & the shopfloor just has hideous prints & fabrics. I find the website awful too. However last summer some helpful MNers linked some cotton dresses & trousers in plain colours. I went looking for them in the shop & they had the items in loud prints on the shopfloor but the plain colours were in the stockroom. I did wonder if the staff keep the good stuff hidden away.

[fiorentina]

I don't buy anything but kids clothes from there. I ordered some 'premium' sandals recently when ordering for the kids and they were awful, really poor quality for nearly £70, so not even cheap!

[Cumberlover76]

Can you use your voucher online? I only buy from the clearance online and at 50% off some of it is OK and the label stuff is 50% off too.

[sara11272]

Next was posh (when I was at school at least, I'm talking about 1987 or so when it was still quite new).

Minimalist, small shops with just a few clothes in, it was one of those places you aspired to buying things. Not saying a 15 year old me was the most sophisticated customer or judge, but it was definitely a different shop to the Next superstores they have today.

I agree it seems to have gone awful and over priced, like the worst Debenhams concessions but about twice the price.

Though weirdly, we have a Next seconds/discount shop near here and I find loads of stuff I want in there (maybe it's just more attractive at half the price!)

[Believeitornot]

The stuff online is miles better. I'm not sure how they choose the stock in store

[Fairylea]

Next online is good. Their jeans are very nice - especially the high waisted skinny ones. They wash and wear well and for £25ish you can't go wrong really.

Some of the prints this season are pretty horrid though! The harem pants are particularly grim.

[DameXanaduBramble]

I cannot abide Aztec prints, why do next think anyone likes them. Plus that hideous colour they insist on making things in, a sort of ashen rosey pink colour, usually on pintuck t shirts. They were good in the days when the directory used to have fabric swatches, I like some of the jeans but yuck to the prints. Just bought a nice white linen shirt from there, though.

[AdoraKiora]

Its been pretty bad for years, but their stuff gets worse in the spring/summer, I think. They just go nuts for hideous prints, weird colours (the weird faded pinks and blues, horrible burnt orange, maroon...why?), shitty fabrics and fads like 'Aztec print' or 'colour block' about 2-3 years too late.

They used to always have something passable in the workwear section, but its pretty much all hideous shite now.

I did get a nice coat from Next last year, though, and occasionally they come up trumps for shoes, too.

[burnishedsilver]

Oh, that brings back memories. I had forgotton about fabric swatches in the old next directory. They used to put quite a bit of effort into the directory.

[RoobyTuesday]

Next has been quite frumpy for a while now, still like some of the boys clothes though and actually I was in there the other day for the first time in months and I thought some of the jeans in there looked okay.

[BennyTheBall]

I do like their online site and the fact they have a large selection of 'labels' - very useful when you have teen boys that will only wear labels.