Spring sales at Next were not as bad as it first predicted, but the retail giant has warned it expects trading to get tougher this summer.
The high street and out-of-town clothes and homewares chain reported a 0.7 per cent drop in full price product sales for the first three months of the year – ahead of what it initially predicted would be a 2 per cent drop – helped by a rush for Easter holiday clothing.
The retailer, which has its national head office in Leicestershire, said it was maintaining its sales and profit guidance for the full year though – forecasting pre-tax profits of £795 million (8.7 per cent down on last year) and sales an expected 1.5 per cent drop in sales.
