Target Corporation Reports First Quarter Earnings
*Comparable sales grew 3.3 percent, on top of 22.9 percent growth last year. **Comparable sales growth reflected traffic growth of 3.9 percent. **Store comparable sales increased 3.4 percent, on top of 18.0 percent growth last year. **Digital comparable sales grew 3.2 percent, following growth of 50.2 percent last year. **Same-day services (Order Pickup, Drive Up and Shipt) grew 8 percent this year, led by Drive Up, which grew in the mid-teens on top of more than 120 percent last year. **More than 95 percent of Target's first quarter sales were fulfilled by its stores. *Sales growth was led by frequently-purchased categories, including Food & Beverage, Beauty, and Household Essentials. *Operating margin rate of 5.3 percent was well below expectations, driven primarily by gross margin pressure reflecting actions to reduce excess inventory as well as higher freight and transportation costs.