Fashion and home furnishings retailer Next has reported a growth in first quarter sales.
According to its latest trading update for the 13 weeks to 2 May 2026, total sales rose 6.2% in Q1, up from its forecast of 4%, which represented an increase of £28m ahead of expectations.
“Sales in the UK, up +4.4%, have been better than expected (we had planned for Q1 UK sales to be up +1.3%),” Next said. “As anticipated, growth has weakened as we move into a period when last year’s sales began to strengthen.
“Compared to two years ago, UK sales growth has remained consistent in all three periods, at around +13%.”
Next posted an uptick in online sales by 10.1%, while retail store sales slipped by 3.4%. In the UK, Next expects sales in Q2 to be up 1% on last year.
“The overachievement in sales was the result of exceptionally strong growth in the first five weeks of the year (+11.8%),” Next added.
“The additional £28m sales added +£8m of profit, increasing our guidance for the full year to £1,218m. We are maintaining our guidance for full price sales for the rest of the year (£5.9bn).
“We plan to mitigate the ongoing cost increases caused by the conflict in the Middle East with a combination of moderate price increases in some international territories and operational cost savings.”
