UK retailer Next to re-open 25 stores on June 15

British clothing retailer Next will re-open 25 stores on June 15 as the country's coronavirus restrictions ease, it said on Tuesday.

Next closed all its stores on March 23, when Britain began a coronavirus lockdown, while its online operations, which account for more than half of group sales, shut three days later before partially re-opening on April 14. The group trades from about 500 stores in the UK and Ireland.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Sunday that non-essential retail in England could re-open from June 15 as long as COVID-19 secure guidelines are met.