Britain's Next Keeps Profit Outlook after 5% Rise in 2023-24

FILE PHOTO: Workers walk through the More London business district with Tower Bridge seen behind in London, November 11, 2015.  REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Workers walk through the More London business district with Tower Bridge seen behind in London, November 11, 2015. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo/File Photo
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Britain's Next Keeps Profit Outlook after 5% Rise in 2023-24

FILE PHOTO: Workers walk through the More London business district with Tower Bridge seen behind in London, November 11, 2015.  REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Workers walk through the More London business district with Tower Bridge seen behind in London, November 11, 2015. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo/File Photo

British clothing retailer Next kept its guidance for sales and profit in the current year after reporting a slightly better than expected 5% rise in profit for 2023-24.
The group, which is often considered a useful gauge of how British consumers are faring, said on Thursday it still expected a profit before tax and exceptional items of 960 million pounds ($1.23 billion) in 2024-25, with full-price sales up 2.5%.
For the year to Jan. 27 2024 it made a profit on the same basis of 918 million pounds, versus guidance of 915 million pounds, on total sales up 5.9% to 5.84 billion pounds, Reuters reported.
"On the face of it, the consumer environment looks more benign than it has for a number of years, albeit there are some significant uncertainties," Next said.
The group said it did not currently anticipate any material adverse impact from stock delays due to disruption to shipments through the Suez Canal.



Shein to Open Pop-up Store in South Africa to Woo More Shoppers

A view of a Shein pop-up store at a mall in Singapore April 4, 2024. (Reuters)
A view of a Shein pop-up store at a mall in Singapore April 4, 2024. (Reuters)
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Shein to Open Pop-up Store in South Africa to Woo More Shoppers

A view of a Shein pop-up store at a mall in Singapore April 4, 2024. (Reuters)
A view of a Shein pop-up store at a mall in Singapore April 4, 2024. (Reuters)

Fast-fashion giant Shein, known for its $5 tops and $10 dresses, will open a pop-up store in Johannesburg, South Africa in August as the online retailer aims to expand its brand recognition in the country.

Shein, founded in China, and its rival Temu have aggressively expanded worldwide as online shopping has surged after the COVID pandemic. They have been accused of exploiting tax loopholes by exporting China-made products in small quantities to avoid higher duties.

Shein will open its pop-up store from Aug. 2-11 as an "exhibition space" for customers to try on trendy fashion and lifestyle products and order them online at a discount, the company said in its South African Instagram post on Tuesday.

Local influencers were tapped for a pre-opening marketing campaign.

Brick-and-mortar and online fashion retailers have urged South African regulators to impose a 45% import duty on all clothing item imports, no matter the price, to level the playing field. Shein, which is planning to go public in Britain, taps a network of largely China-based suppliers which take small initial orders and scale up based on demand.

A Shein spokesperson told Reuters the retailer is engaging with South African regulators to ensure its continued compliance with local laws.

"That said, such tax measures are not critical to the success of our business or the competitive prices we offer our consumers. We keep our prices affordable through our technology-based on-demand business model and flexible supply chain," the spokesperson added.