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Fashion brand Next has continued to see sales overperform, following a boost in the aftermath of a cyber-attack at rival firm M&S.<\/p>\n
The British retailer reported a stronger-than-expected 10.5% increase in full-price sales for its third quarter on Wednesday and raised its full year profit guidance for the fourth time in eight months.<\/p>\n
Next is now expecting to report a pre-tax profit of just over \u00a31.1bn at the end of January 2026.<\/p>\n
It reported that UK sales had weakened in comparison to the “exceptional performance” seen earlier in the year after the M&S cyber-attack in April, but had been better than anticipated.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
“As a reminder, our UK sales performance in the first half benefitted from favourable weather conditions and competitor disruption” the retailer noted in its results.<\/p>\n
“Nonetheless, UK growth of +5.4% was stronger than we had expected.”<\/p>\n
Kate Hardcastle, a consumer expert at Insight with Passion, told BBC Breakfast: “Some of the success this year has certainly come from Marks and Spencer’s very challenged times with its cyber-attack. They were on a huge fight back in terms of their apparel department.”<\/p>\n
She added that Next had “picked up the benefit” of consumers moving away from Marks and Spencer’s. <\/p>\n