Total full-price sales jumped 9.2 per cent over the 13 weeks to August 1, compared with the same period last year. It beat its forecast of a 4 per cent increase over the quarter by £70million. In the UK, sales were up by 2.8 per cent for the quarter. In another boost for investors, the FTSE 100 retailer said it now expects annual profits to increase by 7.3 per cent to £1.24billion. An increase in sales came despite a strong comparative period in which Next benefited from the cyber-attack on M&S last spring.