- Client:
- Next
- What we did:
- Research & Insights, Brand Strategy, Retail Strategy, Customer Journey Mapping, Brand Positioning Development, Brand Naming, Brand Identity Design, Brand Collateral, Communications Design, Digital Interaction Design, Retail Design, Retail Flagship Design, Retail Formats Design, Format Strategy, Concept Rollout
The Challenge
The UK’s consumer landscape has been constantly shifting over the last ten years. It’s been challenging for all brands, but Next has remained a strong performer throughout the decade. We’ve worked together on a programme of continuous design and brand development to make sure Next stays relevant and interesting to its customers.
Our approach & solution
We've evolved and honed the Next proposition, from brand identity to flagship store design, touching every outlet across the chain - including their latest Beauty & Home formats. We elevated the brand experience to take that important upper-middle mass brand position while others have floundered. In our time with the brand, we’ve seen significant growth in share value and market penetration. Next has become the benchmark of the UK fashion market.
Our new Next identity has been firmly established - Fresh, open and timeless it reflects the growing breadth and depth of Next both on-line and offline
From local high streets to power malls and edge of town destinations, Next have evolved their retail presence significantly in our time with the brand. Recently we've worked on their new Beauty & Home formats, helping them expand their online beauty offer into a physical environment.
The introduction of different digital formats throughout the space adds energy, punctuating the customer journey, and encouraging exploration through the store. Alongside this, enhanced customer services and touchpoints such as the fitting rooms, till points, and customer collections, all add to the experience.
Signage and navigation have been a constant focus of attention. Bold, layered and intuitive, from exterior branding to departmental identification to on-shelf pricing, we have addressed it all.
Next is an advocate of the super convenient edge of town location. Many of the strongest openings have been in retail parks, often purpose-built in new locations. The most recent of these was in Fosse Park in spring 2021. This store showcasing new design ideas, with new architectural elements,new digital touchpoints, and a new concept for the Children’s department, aligning to the most recent design thinking across Women’s, Men's & Home. This creates a more common material palette, whilst still giving the departments their own standout.
