It seems to have been a merry Christmas for NEXT, which reported higher-than-anticipated sales over the festive interval, spanning the 9 weeks to 27 December 2025.
The vogue, dwelling and sweetness retailer mentioned full-worth sales elevated by 10.6% yr-on-yr, exceeding its earlier fourth-quarter steering of seven%.
Growth within the UK slowed but not as a lot as anticipated, with sales up 5.9%. This was supported by larger inventory ranges than final yr, when provider deliveries had been delayed by disruption in Bangladesh and international freight networks.
Meanwhile, worldwide on-line sales rose 38.3%, pushed by elevated worthwhile advertising and marketing expenditure and better sales by means of its primary European aggregator, Zalando.
The quantity of inventory in its finish-of-season Sale was larger than beforehand anticipated and up 5% on final yr, but offset by higher-than-anticipated clearance charges.
This outperformance, together with extra sales forecast for January, has led NEXT to extend its full-yr revenue earlier than tax steering by £15 million to £1.15 billion.
The firm additionally reported a ten.7% enhance in full-worth sales for the 48 weeks to 27 December, with UK sales up 6.6%. Full-year outcomes for the yr ending 31 January 2026 are scheduled to be introduced on 26 March 2026.
However, NEXT expects growth subsequent yr to be decrease than within the present monetary yr.
In the UK, present-yr growth benefited from beneficial summer time climate, competitor disruption and improved inventory availability, leading to difficult comparatives. The firm additionally famous that ongoing stress on UK employment could have an effect on client demand because the yr progresses.
Growth from abroad direct web sites can also be anticipated to reasonable following sturdy efficiency this yr.
Initial steering for the yr ending January 2027 forecasts full-worth sales growth of 4.5%, with group revenue earlier than tax anticipated to achieve £1.202 billion, additionally up 4.5%.
NEXT has remained one of many retail sector’s standout performers lately, delivering resilient buying and selling regardless of persistent price-of-dwelling pressures and rising working prices.
The newest buying and selling replace follows analysts’ expectations of one other sturdy yr for the retailerhaving just lately upgraded its steering as soon as once moreforecasting stronger-than-anticipated sales over the essential festive interval.
The replace comes as studies counsel NEXT is contemplating a reduce-worth transfer for vogue model LK Bennettwhich is known to be making ready to nominate directors. The retailer is alleged to be amongst a number of potential bidders assessing a deal targeted on LK Bennett’s model and mental property, fairly than its small remaining retailer property.