NEXT, the UK's third largest clothing retailer, reported a 24 per cent rise in profits over the last half year after sales benefited from better products in bigger stores.

The group, which has two outlets in Swindon, said pre-tax profits for the six months to the end of July rose to £115.8 million, up from £93 m in the same period last year. Turn-over jumped 26 per cent to £944.8 million.

Chairman David Jones said: "Next continues to increase its sales both on the high street and direct to home, with Next brand turnover moving forward by more than 20 per cent against last year.

"This has been achieved through focusing on giving our customers better products in bigger shops and larger catalogues."

The group said its 255 shops which had traded for more than a year saw sales rise seven per cent on a like-for-like basis. Since the year end, like-for-like sales were up 5.7 per cent.

Next disappointed the market in May when it revealed sales growth had slowed but analysts said with hindsight the slowdown was in line with the rest of the sector, as the retail boom cooled.

Chief executive Simon Wolfson said the group was planning on the basis of achieving like-for-like sales growth of between three per cent and five per cent over the medium term.

And he said it was very difficult to say if the consumer market was slowing or remaining robust.

He said ranges which had sold well during the half year were striped shirts with big collars for men and distressed or over-washed jeans.

Among women's wear ranges, gipsy-styled blouses and fake animal skin coats were popular.