Muddy Stilettos


<p>OK, so you might not usually wake up thinking,&nbsp;&#8220;I fancy spending the entire day in <a href="https://www.next.co.uk/storelocator/bluewaterpark/0209" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NEXT</a>?&#8221;&nbsp;But… hear us out. The brand&#8217;s shiny new flagship store is about to open at Bluewater and, at a whopping 83,411 sq ft, it&#8217;s less &#8220;nip in for socks&#8221; and more &#8220;where did the last four hours go?&#8221; Think sofas you can properly Goldilocks-test before committing, room sets fizzing with home inspo, all the gotta-have-it brands under one roof and a perfectly positioned Costa for when your shopping stamina starts to wobble.</p>



<p>If you fancy a little extra fanfare on opening day (<strong>from 10am on Thu 30 July</strong>), there&#8217;ll be a DJ spinning the tunes, Hamish the Highland Cow keeping the smalls entertained, face painting, goody bags for the first 150 shoppers and scratch-card discounts to sweeten the deal. Nice little bonus? We&#8217;d say so. But there are plenty more reasons to make a beeline for Bluewater</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-1-it-s-officially-the-biggest-next-in-the-country">1. It&#8217;s officially the biggest NEXT in the country</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Untitled-design-2026-07-17T094120.842.jpg" alt="Next Bluewater new store" class="wp-image-143581" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Untitled-design-2026-07-17T094120.842.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Untitled-design-2026-07-17T094120.842-600x400.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Untitled-design-2026-07-17T094120.842-1000x667.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The new NEXT at Bluewater is super swanky</figcaption></figure>



<p>Go big or go home? This NEXT lets you do both. Taking over the former House of Fraser site, this enormous flagship is now the biggest NEXT in the entire UK. If you need some sort of picture-it comparison the bods that be say it’s roughly the size of 40 average houses all sandwiched together. Like we said, its big! And in this case big definitely means better!</p>



<p>Forget going online for ease, here you get to leisurely scroll the rails for fashion, beauty and homeware IRL with the added bonus of being able to touch, test and try on all the options with zero ‘that isn’t what I ordered’ regrets. The real beauty? Being able to ditch the dash between different shops and get the whole lot ticked off in one gloriously air-conditioned sweep.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-2-interior-goals-start-here">2. Interior goals start here</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1750" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Untitled-design-46.png" alt="NEXT MADE HOMEWARE AND FURNITURE NEXT BLUEWATER" class="wp-image-143591" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Untitled-design-46.png 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Untitled-design-46-514x600.png 514w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Untitled-design-46-857x1000.png 857w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Untitled-design-46-1317x1536.png 1317w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">MADE room sets at NEXT Bluewater are packed with home-spo i</figcaption></figure>



<p>If you&#8217;ve binge-watched every episode of <em>Interior Design Masters</em> and lose hours to Insta house tours, head straight for the home department. While plenty of retailers are shrinking their furniture showrooms and homeware footprint, NEXT has gone the other way, giving over more than 20,000 glorious sq ft to it. And honestly, it&#8217;s deliciously dangerous.</p>



<p>The beautifully-styled room sets are packed with inspo and ideas you&#8217;ll inevitably want to steal, from swoon-worthy tablescapes to ‘love that combo’ colour pairings and need-those finishing touches. It&#8217;s sort of like WOW!house, but more affordable. Fair warning though: you may leave mentally redecorating every room in the house.</p>



<p>You’ll also get to give everything the all-important “Goldilocks test”. Lounge on the loveseat. Open those drawers. Try the dining chair. Because while buying a cushion online is one thing, committing to a three-seater you&#8217;ve never actually sat on? That’s risky with a capital R. Far better to find out now than discover six weeks later your dream sofa isn&#8217;t actually designed for Sunday afternoon naps.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-3-all-the-brands-just-the-one-roof">3. All the brands, just the one roof</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Untitled-design-2026-07-17T092451.732.jpg" alt="women's campaign image" class="wp-image-143576" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Untitled-design-2026-07-17T092451.732.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Untitled-design-2026-07-17T092451.732-600x400.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Untitled-design-2026-07-17T092451.732-1000x667.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">All the brands are under one roof</figcaption></figure>



<p>NEXT may be the headline act, but the supporting cast is just as impressive. There&#8217;s Laura Ashley for timeless British style and heritage florals, MADE for contemporary furniture with designer looks, and Rockett St George if your decorating motto is ‘more is more’.</p>



<p>Need a beauty fix? Bath &amp; Body Works has all the cult candles (we’re suckers for the <a href="https://www.next.co.uk/style/su627379/f37898?" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Peach Bellini</a>), addictive fragrances and hand washes that somehow make even the downstairs loo feel a bit bougie. </p>



<p>Meanwhile newest edition to the NEXT family, Seraphine, makes its Bluewater debut with stylish maternity wear that&#8217;s anything but frumpy. The best bit? You can shop them all without trekking from one end of the shopping centre to the other. Trust us it’s quite the walk.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-4-refuel-regroup-repeat">4. Refuel. Regroup. Repeat.</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="2560" height="2041" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Costa-Coffee_Spring-2026_Strawberry-Matcha-Cookie-Sandwich-scaled.jpg" alt="Sweet treat from Costa" class="wp-image-143583" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Costa-Coffee_Spring-2026_Strawberry-Matcha-Cookie-Sandwich-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Costa-Coffee_Spring-2026_Strawberry-Matcha-Cookie-Sandwich-600x478.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Costa-Coffee_Spring-2026_Strawberry-Matcha-Cookie-Sandwich-1000x797.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Costa-Coffee_Spring-2026_Strawberry-Matcha-Cookie-Sandwich-1536x1225.jpg 1536w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Costa-Coffee_Spring-2026_Strawberry-Matcha-Cookie-Sandwich-2048x1633.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Grab a Strawberry &amp; Matcha Cookie Sandwich from the GOAT of all Costas</figcaption></figure>



<p>Shopping is, let&#8217;s face it, an endurance sport. And shopping this good requires sustenance. Fortunately, there&#8217;s a cracking Costa right inside the store, serving up all the flat whites, iced coolers and 600-calorie sweet treats (ours is a strawberry and matcha cookie sandwich) needed to keep your shopping stamina alive. Sink into a seat, compare purchases, regroup&#8230; then head back out for &#8220;just one last look&#8221; in Home. We all know how that ends.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-5-clear-the-diar-make-a-day-of-it">5. Clear the diar, make a day of it!</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Untitled-design-2026-07-17T095948.299-1000x667.jpg" alt="Bella Italia in Bluewater" class="wp-image-143584" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Untitled-design-2026-07-17T095948.299-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Untitled-design-2026-07-17T095948.299-600x400.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Untitled-design-2026-07-17T095948.299.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Make a day of it at Bluewater</figcaption></figure>



<p>You might come for Britain&#8217;s biggest NEXT, but we&#8217;ll bet you a Bath &amp; Body Works candle you&#8217;ll end up staying waaaaayyyy longer. Bluewater is one of those rare shopping centres that’s actually pretty nice to pootle around, with leafy walkways, lakeside views and plenty of spots to stop for a coffee, lunch or a cheeky cocktail when the shopping bags start to feel suspiciously heavy.</p>



<p>Still got energy to burn? Daredevils can tackle <a href="https://hanglooseadventure.com/bluewater/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hangloose Adventure&#8217;s</a> giant zipline, Europe&#8217;s biggest swing or the inflatable Aqua Park, while those of us whose idea of living on the edge involves a reclining seat and an extra-large popcorn can settle into <a href="https://www.bluewater.co.uk/en/play-listing/showcase-cinema-de-lux-bluewater" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Showcase Cinema de Lux</a>&nbsp;instead. Chuck another 280-plus shops and restaurants into the mix, ample and FREE parking (with roomier than usual spaces) and you&#8217;ve got the makings of a proper day out. Just wear your comfiest shoes and leave plenty of room in the boot.</p>



<p>Visiting over the summer holidays? There&#8217;s even more reason to linger. From <strong>18 July to 31 Aug</strong>, Bluewater is hosting <a href="https://www.bluewater.co.uk/en/the-monster" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Monster</a>, a giant inflatable obstacle course with more than 40 challenges, DJs, street food and a festival atmosphere that&#8217;s guaranteed to tire out even the most energetic little shoppers.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-in-the-mood-for-more">IN THE MOOD FOR MORE?</h2>



<ul>
<li><a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/arts-culture-things-to-do/best-new-theatre-shows/">From Olivier winners to opening nights – the best theatre to see now</a></li>



<li><a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/whats-on/whats-on-around-the-muddy-counties-this-weekend/">Sun’s out! The UK’s hottest events to have on your radar this week</a></li>



<li><a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/home/interiors/best-garden-furniture-uk-outdoor-living-buys/">The ultimate garden glow-up: chic buys to elevate your outdoor space</a></li>
</ul>


NEXT’s biggest-ever store is coming: 5 reasons we’re dashing to Bluewater

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