Richard Hunter, Head of Markets at interactive investor, stated: “The Next engine continues to purr as the group retains its laser focus on identifying growth opportunities in a famously competitive environment. In all, Next has shown its edge again in an environment in which it is seen as something of a bellwether. Its share price performance has also defied odds which have tended to depress the retail sector elsewhere, having risen by 27% over the last year, as compared to a gain of 2.7% for the wider FTSE100.”