Next said that full-price sales rose by 1.3 per cent in the third quarter as an increase in catalogue sales offset a fall at its shops NextIt was the last thing that investors wanted to hear before Next embarks on its crucial Christmas selling season. The fashion seller said yesterday that its trading was “extremely volatile” and warned that sales could fall again as it heads into the festive period. The downbeat assessment took the shine off a rise in third-quarter earnings, as Next said that full-price sales had gone up by 1.3 per cent in the three months to October 29, helped mostly by its stronger Directory division, where sales were up by 13.2 per cent. Next’s retail business found trading tougher, however, with full-price sales dropping by 7.7 per cent during the period. This continues a trend at Next, where there is a growing and marked divergence between its…

Source: The Times November 02, 2017 00:02 UTC