Next could easily have been a real casualty of the digital age but, again, has shown its ability to not only stay relevant but prosper, thanks to its ability to adapt and benefit strategically from online retail.
While the fast fashion brands have blazed and faded, Next has nurtured its brand portfolio, online platform and customer base steadily in a real tortoise and hare story.
Next got a boost from M&Sโs cyber troubles and better weather over the summer, but M&S is healthy again and is still seeing the fruits from its turnaround efforts over the past few years.
The international segment is progressing well, with sales growth getting a good boost from online aggregator platforms – the โfollow the moneyโ strategy is clearly coming into its own.
UK sales are still important though and predicting a drop in the second half is a rare negative today. It means bolstering ex-UK operations and international awareness is key now – filling gaps in customer journeys have been a good start to addressing this.
More broadly, costs are mounting, and a bout of warmer weather and M&S troubles wonโt be there to back sales over the rest of the year.
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