Next, Britain’s retail superstar

Next is a boring brand and an exciting business. Launched in 1982 to plug a gap in the market between lines for younger shoppers and items for richer, older folk, the British clothing retailer has since stuck to its briefs. On high streets and in retail parks, and increasingly online, it sells garments that are unlikely to grace the runway or go viral on TikTok. Lord Wolfson, Next’s unassuming boss, eschews mega-yachts and parties in favour of gardening and economics; he sponsors the £250,000 ($320,000) Wolfson prize, the most valuable economics award after the Nobel.