Why NEXT Quietly Won UK Retail

This week on Upside, we flip the script.

After breaking down why Argos struggled, we look at the other side of the story on how NEXT quietly built one of the strongest retail businesses in the UK, while competing with Amazon, ASOS, and a collapsing high street.

On the surface, Argos and NEXT started in similar places:

physical stores, catalog heritage, big brands.

But over the last 20 years, their paths couldn’t have diverged more.

In this episode, we unpack what actually made the difference:

• Why long-term leadership and disciplined governance matter more than flashy innovation

• How owning your brand (and your infrastructure) changes everything

• The “Total Platform” strategy that turned NEXT into a landlord, not just a retailer

• Why NEXT didn’t try to beat Amazon at Amazon’s game, and won anyway

• What UK retailers can still learn from this model today

This isn’t a story about luck or timing.

It’s about fundamentals, patience, control and how boring decisions compound into serious advantage.

🎧 Watch or listen to this week’s Upside now 👇

🎧 Apple Podcasts:

🎧 Spotify:

P.S. If you haven’t already, hit subscribe. It makes our day and keeps our little community swinging along with us.