NEXT report profits but no plans for more stores

CLOTHING retailer NEXT has no immediate plans to add to its 24 Irish stores after reporting a 24% increase in profits in the first six months of the year.

The company said sales across its 332 stores in Ireland and Britain benefited from “better products in bigger stores”.

The group said that pre-tax profits for the six months to the end of July rose to £115.8 million, up from £93 million in the same period last year.