Next results prompt cautious optimism for consumer Christmas spending

Next’s sales over the festive period were stronger than anticipated, but experts warn they set the tone “for a tough Christmas”.
The British retailer revealed this morning (3 December) that full price sales from Wednesday 1 November to Sunday 24 December were up 1.5% on last year. In comparison, last year’s sales only increased by 0.2% for the same period.
The jump in sales might have come as a surprise to the company, as Next initially predicted in November that sales wo