HIGH street powerhouse Next has delivered further proof of the Christmas spending boom enjoyed by Britain's retailers.
Next reported a nine per cent increase in like-for-like sales for the 23 weeks to January 5 and said business for the festive period had been very good.
The figures from the bellwether of the clothing sector reflect the findings of a British Retail Consortium (BRC) study released on Monday.
It said the British high street had enjoyed its most successful December for five years, with business up six per cent on a like-for-like basis.
Next is one of the first major retailers to issue its seasonal update, with Debenhams, Marks and Spencer and Woolworths to follow next week.
Smaller companies to report yesterday included the games retailer Electronics Boutique, which bettered City expectations with a like-for-like sales increase of 47 per cent in the five weeks to December 29.
Games linked to the Harry Potter books were top-sellers as the firm said its fortunes had been lifted by the popularity of Sony PlayStation 2 consoles.
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