Following today’s release of Next’s figures for the nine weeks ending 27 December 2025; Emily Salter, lead retail analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers her view: “In line with the rest of an exceptional year, Next delivered a strong performance over the festive period, with total full price sales rising by 10.6% in the nine weeks to 27 December as consumers gravitated towards its wide product range and broad price architecture. Because of this, and continued momentum expected in January, the retailer has once again raised its profit before tax guidance for the full year (+£15m to £1,150m).
“In the UK, Next’s sales rose by a more muted, but still impressive, 5.9% as it was able to convince shoppers to part with their money, despite the uncertainty that characterised the lead-up to Christmas. The retailer is likely to be a leader in the UK non-food space over the 2025 golden quarter, with overall non-food market growth forecast to be much lower. This was aided by its proposition, as the retailer is well-known for more resilient categories such as childrenswear, and the fact that it allows shoppers to easily trade up to more premium brands, as better-off consumers focus on buying fewer, higher quality items in clothing and home. The convenience of Next’s fast delivery and click & collect proposition will have attracted family and time-poor shoppers in particular over Christmas. Next also cited better stock availability as a reason for higher growth than expected, but this is still underpinned by its product and service proposition that resonates with consumers. Internationally, Next’s sales rose by 38.3% as its continued marketing efforts paid off, and its transition to Zalando’s ZEOS platform aided its growth by boosting availability.
“Next also provided guidance for its subsequent financial year, with full price growth of 4.5% expected, along with a 4.5% forecast rise in profit before tax as investment in its international platforms will continue to bear fruit. Much of the growth will be driven by international sales, with UK growth forecast to be 1.6% as it comes up against tough comparatives from FY2025/26 and pressures on employment are expected to impact spending.”
