Despite concerns among City of London investors that prospects for the online market in the UK may be over-inflated, Next's Directory sales increased 13.7% in the 13 weeks to April 26.
The growth means that Next's Directory business could approach £1.5 billion sales this financial year after reaching £1.34 billion last year on growth of 12.4%.
That would put is catalogue and directory sales tantalisingly close to the biggest online pureplay retailer Shop Direct, whose sales are around £1.5 billion.
The retailer said total Next brand sales increased 10.8% which included Next Retail sales of 8.8%. It said it now expected pretax profit for the year to be between £750 million and £790 million, up from previous guidance of between £730 million and £770 million.
That compares to profit last year of £695 million. Next warned that, while sales over the next two quarters were against easier comparisons last year, it would be tougher in the final quarter over Christmas when the increasingly popular Next experienced a sales boom among shoppers.
Many commentators have put Next's success down to its firm application of its discount periods with a flash sale mid-season and a longer end of season sale. Many UK clothing retailers employ more frequent discounts which have annoyed more loyal shoppers who find prices on the products they buy cut within weeks or days of them making a purchase.
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