{
  "id": 7965208,
  "title": "Next lifts profit targets as retailer beats forecasts again",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/next-lifts-profit-targets-as-retailer-beats-forecasts-again",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-17T06:16:17.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "City AM",
    "slug": "city-am",
    "url": "https://www.cityam.com/next-lifts-profit-targets-as-retailer-beats-forecasts-again/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Next has increased its profit target once again, following \"much better\" trading performance in the first half of the year. The UK-based FTSE 100 retail giant reported a £569m pre-tax profit, a 10.5% increase compared to last year. Sales across its group rose by 9% in the six months to July, surpassing expectations both domestically and internationally.\n\nThe company's UK online sales surged by 7.4%, exceeding earlier guidance of 4.6%, while in-store sales only fell by 1.7%, a milder decline than the anticipated 3.3%. Next now anticipates a full-year pre-tax profit of £1.26bn, driven by stronger-than-expected sales and warehouse cost savings. The retailer's chief executive, Lord Simon Wolfson, emphasized that the company's achievements were not the result of a strategic plan, but rather a result of numerous initiatives and decisions made by employees throughout the organization.\n\nEarlier this year, Next raised its full-year profit forecast by £25m to £1.24bn, marking a more than 7% increase from the previous year, after experiencing an unexpected £70m sales surge. Recently, the retailer avoided a £30m liability when an appeal was successful, preventing it from paying shop-floor staff less than warehouse workers. Next welcomed the ruling, stating that failing to do so would have \"represented a hammer blow to retail employment in the UK.\"",
  "summary": "Next has lifted its profit target again following “much better” than expected trading in the first half of the year as the retailer continues to defy fears of inflation and a slowdown in consumer spending. The FTSE 100 retail giant saw sales across its group jump by nine per cent in the six months to [...]",
  "key_points": [
    "Next raises profit target to £1.26bn for full year",
    "UK online sales up 7.4%, beating 4.6% guidance",
    "In-store sales decline 1.7%, milder than 3.3% forecast"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Next's upgraded profit target signals the retailer's resilience and adaptability, allowing it to outperform expectations and navigate challenges while maintaining a strong financial position.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Guardian Business",
        "title": "Next forecasts bigger profits after hot weather lifts sales",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/next-forecasts-bigger-profits-after-hot-weather-lifts-sales",
        "published": "2026-09-17T07:42:19.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}