British Retailer Sir David Jones Dies Aged 76

LONDON – Retailer Sir David Jones, who secretly battled Parkinson’s disease as he built a successful career on the British high street, has died aged 79, according to his former employer, the fashion chain Next. Jones, a savvy accountant with zero fashion flair, rescued Next from collapse during the Eighties after staging a boardroom coup that saw the exit of clothing and design powerhouse George Davies as chairman and chief executive. Davies, with his flair for mass-market fashion, had built Next into a high-street giant during the Eighties, but when costs spiralled out of control and Next’s value on the FTSE 100 plummeted, he quickly fell from grace. Davies would later create successful clothing lines at Asda and later Marks & Spencer. After taking charge of Next, Jones undertook a draconian restructuring plan, shutting 100 stores, slashing staff numbers, disposing of assets, reorganizing management and eventually returning the company to profitability. He did it all while quietly fighting Parkinson’s, having been diagnosed while in his 30s. For years, he refused to tell his employers about the disease, and managed it with a cocktail of pills. “It is with great sadness that Next plc records the passing of its former chairman and chief executive Sir David Jones,” the

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