Next sales boosted by late Christmas surge
Next has reported a sharp rise in online sales over the Christmas period, while trading at its stores declined.
The retailer said strong sales during the three weeks prior to Christmas and the October half-term holiday had made up for a “disappointing” November.
In a continuation of recent trends, online sales rose 15.2% between 28 October and 29 December from a year earlier, while store sales fell 9.2%.
In total, full-price sales at the retailer were up 1.5% over the period.
The retailer expects an annual profit of £723m, slightly lower than its previous forecast of £727m.
It blamed the lower forecast on strong sales of less profitable items such as beauty products and personalised gifts.
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