Next reports ‘better than expected’ Q1 as sales rise 11.4 percent
Credits: Next. British retail giant Next has posted “better than expected” results for the first quarter of 2025. In the 13 weeks to April 26, the company reported a 11.4 percent increase in full price sales, when compared to the same period of the year prior. The results were boosted by a 29.6 percent uptick in online international sales, as well as the warmer weather, which the retailer said had “benefited the sale of summer-weight clothing”. With this in mind, however, Next said some of these sales may have been pulled forward from Q2, and thus it has opted not to increase its sales guidance for the ongoing quarter or the rest of the year. Retail sales are also expected to return to being “broadly flat”. In the UK over the reporting period, online sales were up 4.2 percent, while its Label sales rose 15.7 percent. Retail, meanwhile, increased by 5.2 percent, contributing to a 7.3 percent uptick in total UK sales. The guidance for group profit before tax, meanwhile, is being increased for the full year by 14 million pounds to 1,080 million pounds in light of Q1 sales coming in 55 million pounds ahead of initial forecasts. Group full price sales for the year are currently expected to hit 5.4 billion pounds, a 6 percent increase on 2024/25. Coming into the second half of the year, Next said it was to express more caution surrounding sales as results in AW24 were much stronger. It is further anticipated that the UK government’s increase to National Insurance will define the wider economy, and as a result, potentially impact performance. Next has scheduled its sales update for the 26 weeks to July 26 for July 31, 2025.
British retail giant Next has posted “better than expected” results for the first quarter of 2025. In the 13 weeks to April 26, the company reported a 11.4 percent increase in full price sales, when compared to the same period of the year prior.
The results were boosted by a 29.6 percent uptick in online international sales, as well as the warmer weather, which the retailer said had “benefited the sale of summer-weight clothing”.
With this in mind, however, Next said some of these sales may have been pulled forward from Q2, and thus it has opted not to increase its sales guidance for the ongoing quarter or the rest of the year. Retail sales are also expected to return to being “broadly flat”.
In the UK over the reporting period, online sales were up 4.2 percent, while its Label sales rose 15.7 percent. Retail, meanwhile, increased by 5.2 percent, contributing to a 7.3 percent uptick in total UK sales.
The guidance for group profit before tax, meanwhile, is being increased for the full year by 14 million pounds to 1,080 million pounds in light of Q1 sales coming in 55 million pounds ahead of initial forecasts. Group full price sales for the year are currently expected to hit 5.4 billion pounds, a 6 percent increase on 2024/25.
Coming into the second half of the year, Next said it was to express more caution surrounding sales as results in AW24 were much stronger. It is further anticipated that the UK government’s increase to National Insurance will define the wider economy, and as a result, potentially impact performance.
Next has scheduled its sales update for the 26 weeks to July 26 for July 31, 2025.
