Watchdog brands Next ad ‘irresponsible’ on body image concerns February 12, 2025 The UK’s advertising watchdog has upheld a complaint that Next used an “unhealthily thin” model to advertise a pair of leggings online. The ruling comes just weeks after the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Eating Disorders published a report describing the “alarming” rise in disorders such as anorexia and bulimia over the past decade, adding that [...]
St James’s Place and Next help FTSE 100 to another all-time high January 31, 2025 The FTSE 100 has hit another all-time high this morning, with the index up five per cent since the start of 2025. London’s main index rose 0.46 per cent this morning before dropping back slightly, while the more domestically focused FTSE 250 jumped 0.53 per cent. “Given the volatility this week on Wall Street as [...]
Next CEO backs Lords battle against National Insurance tax rise January 29, 2025 The chief executive of retail giant Next has backed an attempt in the House of Lords to change the planned change to employer’s National Insurance Contributions (NICs). Lord Wolfson has supported amendments to the bill which have been tabled by Baroness Noakes. In Labour’s Budget last Autumn, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said that the government would [...]
Next: Lord Wolfson warns Budget will make it ‘harder’ to enter workforce January 17, 2025 The boss of retail giant Next has warned that tax rises announced in the Budget will make it “harder and harder for people to enter the workforce”. Lord Wolfson told the BBC that the government’s move to hike national insurance (NI) would disproportionately hit entry-level jobs. “The axe has fallen particularly hard on those entry-level, [...]
Next: FTSE 100 retailer hikes profit guidance but warns on costs January 7, 2025 Retail industry bellwether Next has upgraded its profit outlook for the year after sales and growth exceeded expectations during the Golden Quarter. The FTSE 100 company hiked its expected profit by five per cent as sales jumped six per cent in the nine weeks to 28 December, nearly double its previous guidance of 3.5 per cent. [...]
Post-Christmas shopping to rise as bargain-hunters ’emerge’ – analyst December 28, 2024 Post-Christmas shopping is expected to pick up on Friday after data showed there were fewer consumers hitting the high streets for Boxing Day bargains. By midday on Friday, footfall at shops across the country was eight per cent higher than the same day last year, according to retail analysts MRI Software. It follows refreshed figures [...]
Lidl boss warns retailers are ‘reeling’ after Budget tax raid November 20, 2024 The boss of budget supermarket Lidl has warned retailers are “reeling” following Labour’s tax raid in the Autumn Budget. The German supermarket’s UK boss Ryan McDonnell said the discount brand was staring down the barrel of “tens of millions of pounds” in extra costs. This comes after the Chancellor unveiled a £25.7bn tax-raising package, with [...]
Next predicts £1bn profit after cold weather boosts sales October 30, 2024 Next has upgraded its profit forecast for the year to over £1bn after better-than-expected sales in its third quarter. The FTSE 100 retail giant, which is headquartered in Leicester, has upgraded its guidance from £995m to £1.005bn. In an update to the London Stock Exchange, Next said full price sales in the three months to 30 October [...]
Fatface counts the cost of takeover by Next as fashion retailer enters the red October 28, 2024 Fatface slumped into the red in the aftermath of its takeover by FTSE 100 giant Next last year, it has been revealed. The Hampshire-headquartered business was acquired by the Leicester-based giant for £115.2m in October 2023. Newly-filed accounts with Companies House show that Fatface fell to a pre-tax loss of £3.2m in the 35 weeks [...]
Next boss Lord Wolfson sells £29m of stock in the high street bellwether September 29, 2024 Next’s chief executive has sold £29m worth of shares in the FTSE 100 fashion and homeware store. Lord Wolfson of Aspley Guise sold around 290,000 shares, leaving him with 950,000 shares worth £100m, Next told markets on Friday. News of the sale sent Next’s share price down 3.5 per cent, although it’s risen by 21.24 [...]