Five to buy
Next
This high-street stalwart has defied the gloomy economic news to deliver robust Christmas trading data. The year ahead is likely to be a bumpy one for retailers as the cost-of-living crisis bites, but Next is in a strong long-term position. It has successfully shifted to an “omnichannel” strategy to head off the online threat and has the financial firepower to snap up struggling peers – witness its recent purchase of fashion retailer Joules out of administration. A
