Next, which like Inditex sells clothes and home wares, warned, however, that like-for-like retail sales are likely to decline between 3.5 percent and 6.5 percent in the second half. At Directory, its catalogue and online-shopping business, which generates about 40 percent of operating profit, Next said it expects sales to rise by up to 2 percent. The retailer nevertheless raised its full-year fore- cast, saying it now expects to deliver pretax profit “close” to last year’s £429 million, subject to its sales performance in the fourth quarter, which includes Christmas.