Transaction in Own Shares

Next PLC
16 May 2005

Next plc

Off-market purchases by way of contingent purchase contract by the Company of
ordinary shares for cancellation

Next plc announces that, pursuant to the contingent forward purchase contract it
entered into with Goldman Sachs International on 13 December 2004, it has today
purchased 50,000 ordinary shares for cancellation at a price of 1573.6 pence per
share.

A J R McKinlay
Company Secretary
Next plc


Editorial note:

Under the contingent contract, the Company may purchase a fixed number of shares
each week (other than in the weeks commencing 20, 27 December 2004 and 4 January
2005), in the period to 11 July 2005, at a fixed price that is at a discount to
the market price prevailing at the start of the contract period. The contract is
contingent in that it would terminate early, and no further shares would be
purchased, if the Company's share price increases to a pre-determined suspension
level during the contract period. This suspension level has been set at the
start of the contract and is between 104% and 110% of the Company's share price
at the start of the contract.







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