NEXT to open 132,000 sq ft anchor store at Bluewater this month

NEXT is set to launch a new 132,000 sq ft anchor store at Bluewater in Greenhithe, Kent, on 30 July 2026, tripling the size of its current presence at the shopping centre and taking over the former House of Fraser unit, which has sat empty since the end of 2024.

The opening gives Bluewater its first new anchor store since the centre launched in 1999.

Across the launch weekend, Bluewater will put on live music and family entertainment, including face painting and an appearance from NEXT mascot Hamish the Highland Cow.

What the store will include

Inside the expanded site, shoppers will find wider men's, women's and childrenswear ranges, plus a bigger homeware department and an in-store Costa café. NEXT is moving from its current 44,600 sq ft unit at the centre.

NEXT store manager Terry Wetherell said: "We're incredibly excited to be opening the largest store across the NEXT portfolio at Bluewater Shopping Centre. We can't wait to showcase a broader range of our products and introduce new brands to the centre and our customers."

Bath & Body Works will also relocate to a neighbouring 2,000 sq ft unit as part of the opening.

Bluewater's anchor strategy

TheIndustry.fashion first reported on the store opening in November 2024.  At the time, Pablo Sueiras, Head of Brand Account Management at Landsec, said: "The best brands are investing in bigger, better stores in prime locations. NEXT is at the forefront of retail innovation, which has made it one of the most in-demand brands among consumers."

The deal converts a vacated department store unit into a mono-brand anchor, a pattern that has become common across prime UK shopping centres as retailers seek larger-format spaces in high-footfall destinations.

Bluewater encompasses more than 250 shops and is one of the largest retail destinations in the south-east of England.

Wider retail activity

NEXT, which reportedly has a market capitalisation of more than £17.5 billion, currently operates more than 400 stores across the UK and has been busily expanding its brand portfolio over the last few years.

Just last week NEXT was reportedly considering a bid for Harvey Nichols, the luxury department store chain put up for sale by its Hong Kong billionaire owner, Sir Dickson Poon.

Previously, it has taken over a series of well-known retail names, among them FatFace, Joules and Reiss. It has also built UK distribution deals with Gap and Victoria's Secret.

In January, NEXT also acquired footwear brand Russell & Bromley in a pre-pack insolvency rescue deal that focused on its brand and assets. The retailer initially kept the leases of three of the brand's key stores – in Chelsea, Mayfair and Bluewater, but later also re-opened its Richmond location. All remaining Russell & Bromley stores are now shut.  

Harvey Nichols would bring this acquisition-led approach into premium department store retail for the first time.

Sky News reported that it is still not clear whether NEXT would carry on operating the network of regional stores after any takeover, or whether it would instead concentrate on the brand and other intellectual property assets, as it did with its Russell & Bromley deal.