'Giant increase' in games planned at Next

More known for its fashionable clothing range and spectacular sales, high street chain Next is planning a major move into the games business after adding 300 titles to its latest catalogue.

The latest Next Directory sells a wide range of games titles, covering all the main formats such as Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360, after the firm revealed a "giant increase" in the sector.

“We saw a very successful introduction of games in July which continued into Christmas supported by our Directory and subsequent Christmas brochure,” Next’s games buyer Jon Biddle told MCV.

“We stock all of the major formats and they’ve done phenomenally well.

"Our spring/summer offering has around 300 games products spread across the Directory and website and we are looking how to drive the category further.”

The store also claims it may consider selling games and consoles in its stores. “Ultimately we’d like to consider moving games in-store, but it’s very much early days,” added Biddle.

“A lot of games products fit with our female and family customer base. Of course we’re looking to build on this success and grow our market share this year. We can see some real potential in the games market and know we can make this work for our business model. However it’s new to us so we’re taking a steady approach.”