Giant Next has warned of possible store closures after losing a landmark legal case over equal pay. The retailer is planning to appeal against the decision last month that saw more than 3,500 former and current workers at the group win their pay claim after a six-year legal battle. But what do Next's customers actually think about this? Since news of the possible closure broke many people have been airing their views online.
One person pointed out that their net profit for next year is considerably high. They said "Next, a British fashion retailer, made a profit of £918 million in 2023/24. For the 2024/25 financial year, Next is forecasting a profit before tax of £980 million, which is higher than the previous guidance of £960 million.
" In response to this, a further person pointed out that if their profit is so high they should be paying their staff a better wage. They said "Exactly that, big profits = terrible pay. Deserves to go to the wall as per every other business that doesn't pay a decent wage, no excuses.
" An employment tribunal ruled that Next failed to demonstrate that the lower basic wage paid to sales consultants compared with warehouse operatives was not the result of sex discrimination. Next – which is led by chief executive Lord Wolfson – cautioned that while it is confident of winning its appeal, if it did not, it could be forced to shut shops due to soaring costs. In its half-year results, the group said: “In the possible (but unlikely) event we los.
