Next Continues Shopping Spree with Russell & Bromley Shoe Chain Acquisition

Next is moving forward with its acquisition strategy, with its sights set on companies in critical economic situations. The British fashion distribution company has announced the purchase of the historic luxury footwear company Russell&Bromley, immersed in bankruptcy proceedings, for 2.5 million pounds ($3.35 million).

According to British media, Next has acquired the brand and three of the company’s 36 stores, as well as part of the existing stock, for which it will pay an additional 1.3 million pounds ($1.74 million). The future of the staff within the brand would not be guaranteed.

The insolvency administrator, Interpath, is still deciding what will happen to the remaining stores that, for the time being, remain open. The fate of the nine stores that the company has under concession, which together employ 400 people, is also unknown.

Next has taken over the brand and three of Russell&Bromley’s 36 stores in prime locations

Russell&Bromley CEO Andrew Bromley called the decision to sell “difficult” but said it was the best way to secure the company’s future. The company has 150 years of history.

The three Russell&Bromley stores that Next has acquired are in Chelsea, Mayfair and Kent, and employ around 48 staff. They are those that were in affluent locations in and around London.

Next has sought in recent months to take over companies with potential that are experiencing financial difficulties, such as Seraphine, a maternity fashion company, which it acquired in August for 600,000 pounds ($805,788). The company had ceased operations and, with new managers at the helm, was no longer accepting orders.

This month, on the other hand, Next’s intention to take over LK Bennett, a luxury fashion company also founded in London in 1990, was announced. LK Bennett filed an application with the courts at the end of last year to appoint insolvency administrators. In that case, industry sources also said it was unlikely that Next would take over its physical store network of nine stores and several franchises.

According to the latest information published, Next continues to grow. The company achieved a profit of 1.375 billion pounds ($1.846 billion) in the first half of 2025, around 150 million pounds more than in the same period of the previous year.