Next reopens 'very limited' online operations

Next has announced it has reopened its online operations “in a very limited way” after halting them last month over Covid-19 health concerns.

The British retailer announced in March that it would temporarily halt its online, warehousing and distribution operations after “listening very carefully” to concerns voiced by its employees working across those areas.

On Tuesday, Next announced it is reopening its online operations in a limited way after implementing “very extensive additional safety measures and having consulted with colleagues and our recognised union, the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW)”.

Only a “small amount” of employees who are willing and able to safely return to work will be working in the warehouses and the selling volume will be low to ensure “rigorous social distancing is complied with.”

Next will initially only offer categories most-needed by its customers, such as childrenswear and selected small home items, with other product ranges possibly added at a later date.

“To achieve these limited volumes, Next will only allow customers to order the number of items that it believes can be picked safely on any given day. At that point we will then stop taking orders and convert the website to 'browse only' until the following morning,” the company said.

In March, Next warned of a potential one billion pound drop in full-price sales in the 2020 financial year as a result of Covid-19. “We have no experience of a similar crisis so there is no way of predicting the extent that the effect coronavirus will have on our retail and online sales,” said Next CEO Lord Wolfson in the company’s full-year report.

Photo credit: Next image gallery