UK-born fashion brand NEXT has opened a new store at Phoenix Mall of Asia in Bengaluru. A store for men's and women's wear (about 418 sq m2) and a dedicated kidswear store are launching simultaneously, expanding its presence in South India in one stroke. The franchise partner is Myntra Jabong India Private Limited (MJIPL), a subsidiary of Flipkart, and the approach is distinguished by an omnichannel strategy integrating online and offline.
NEXT's Bengaluru store occupies about 4,500 square feet (about 418 sq m2) of retail space within Phoenix Mall of Asia. It carries about 500 styles for men's and women's wear, and a dedicated kidswear store (about 180 styles) is also attached within the same mall. It positions itself under a "contemporary British" banner, appealing on quality at an affordable price tier.
MJIPL, which handles franchise operations, holds the licensed distribution rights for NEXT products within India. Since first entering the India market in 2023, it has opened stores in Pune and Hyderabad, and Bengaluru marks its entry into a third city.
India's apparel and fashion market is estimated at $85 billion in 2026, and the rush of store openings by global players such as ZARA and H&M continues. COS, under the H&M Group, is also preparing its second store at Bengaluru's Phoenix Mall of Asia, making the mall a fiercely contested battleground for overseas brands. As a British entrant, NEXT's move carries a distinct advantage in being able to draw on Myntra's distribution network.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Year founded | 1982 (Leicester, UK) |
| Stores in the UK | 460+ stores |
| Overseas franchise locations | 265 locations |
| Countries with online presence | 80+ countries |
| First India store | 2023 |
| Bengaluru Store Area | about 418 sq m2(4,500sqft) |
| Number of styles at the Bengaluru store | About 500 for men's and women's + about 180 for kids |
| India expansion target | 50 stores by 2030 (industry estimate) |
Indian retail industry experts are watching NEXT's Bengaluru store from three angles. First, that Myntra (of the Flipkart/Walmart group) is handling the franchise. There are few precedents in India for a model in which an e-commerce platform company gets involved in operating physical stores, making this a litmus test for omnichannel success. Second, the concentration of overseas brands such as COS and NEXT at Phoenix Mall of Asia is helping Bengaluru establish itself as a "third premium retail market" after Mumbai and Delhi. Third, NEXT's price tier aims for a spot between ZARA (leaning premium) and H&M (leaning mass), a position well suited to capturing India's upper-middle class.
The lesson Japanese apparel and retail companies can draw from NEXT's strategy is clear. When entering India, a franchise partnership with a local e-commerce platform is a strong option that secures a distribution network while keeping initial investment down, compared with going it alone. Uniqlo runs a directly-operated model in India, but for a mid-tier brand at the stage of testing the India market, a partnership model with Myntra or a Reliance-affiliated company would be more realistic. Also, as with the case of Juicy Couture opening a store in Hyderabad, the strategy of choosing a Tier-1 city other than Delhi or Mumbai as the first store location is also becoming more common.
NEXT's store opening is also a tailwind for India's mall developers. The Phoenix Mills Group positions "Mall of Asia" as Bengaluru's largest premium mall, and it keeps succeeding in attracting overseas brands. With new mall opening space across India projected to grow 30% year over year in 2026, internationalizing the tenant mix has become a differentiator. For Myntra too, accumulating offline store-operation know-how could lead to a new revenue stream: supporting D2C brands in launching physical stores.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Store name | NEXT Phoenix Mall of Asia store |
| Location | Phoenix Mall of Asia, Bengaluru |
| Categories handled | Men's, women's, kidswear |
| Franchise | Myntra Jabong India Pvt Ltd (MJIPL) |
| Official website | next.co.in |
UK-based NEXT's Bengaluru store presents a model for cracking the India market that integrates online and offline around a powerful e-commerce partner, Myntra. As Bengaluru becomes a priority city for overseas brands alongside Delhi and Mumbai, this is also a moment for Japanese companies to reconsider a partnership-based entry strategy.
Source: FashionUnited
Related article: COS's second Bengaluru store｜Juicy Couture opens in Hyderabad｜Papa John's Re-Enters India
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