Next has opened its largest-ever UK store at Landsec’s Bluewater shopping centre in Kent. Spanning 132,000 sq ft, the store is three times the size of the retailer’s previous unit and is the first new anchor store to join Bluewater since the centre opened in 1999. The opening of the mega store represents the most significant addition to the centre since Landsec snapped up Singaporean sovereign wealth fund GIC’s 17.5% stake in the centre two years ago – taking its ownership to 66.25%. “Having one of the British high street’s most recognisable brands triple its footprint to create its largest UK store at Bluewater is a powerful endorsement of the destination and the enduring value of physical retail,” said Pablo Sueiras, head of retail and hospitality leasing at Landsec. As part of the transformation, beauty brand Bath & Body Works has relocated to a neighbouring 2,000 sq ft unit.