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By Siddharth Cavale
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Target raised its holiday-quarter comparable sales forecast on Thursday, buoyed by robust shopper demand for clothing, toys and beauty products during November and December.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday were record sales days, the Minneapolis-based chain said, prompting it to raise its comparable sales growth forecast for the three months through January to 1.5% from prior expectations of flat growth.
Analysts had expected fourth-quarter comparable sales to rise 0.2%. But, the retailer maintained its forecast for the fourth quarter and full-year adjusted earnings per share in the range of $1.85 to $2.45 and $8.30 to $8.90, respectively.
Shares of Target reversed course to drop 1% in premarket trading as analysts said investors might want more clarity on reaffirmed profit forecasts.
Target's sales performance is in contrast to rival Macy's, which issued a more downbeat outlook for the holiday quarter.
It also surpassed initial estimates from data and research firms that had predicted a slightly weaker Black Friday and Cyber Monday for Target compared to rivals Walmart, PDD's Temu and Shein.
Earlier this week, apparel retailers, including Lululemon, Abercrombie & Fitch and American Eagle, also raised their holiday-quarter sales expectations as discounts at stores and online drew in more customers.
Target's comparable sales rose 2% during November and December, Target said, driven by a nearly 3% rise in shopper visits to its website and 1,963 U.S. stores.
The retailer saw a "meaningful" increase in the purchases of non-essential items such as apparel and toys, a change from the previous quarter where apparel sales were weak as unusually warm weather reduced demand for winter clothing.
As a result, Target had issued a much weaker-than-expected sales forecast for the holiday quarter, causing its shares to drop.
Since then it boosted advertising on streaming platforms like Peacock and Hulu after Black Friday and on Cyber Monday. It also increased promotions to attract cash-strapped customers and cut prices across a wide assortment.
Some of the promotions included up to 40% off on sweatshirts, sweatpants, fleece and denim products, while it also increased toy collection priced under $20.
"It was a better-than-expected report and it gives us some optimism as you head into the year," Telsey Advisory Group analyst Joseph Feldman said.
Analysts and investors have noted that during the holiday season retailers who were able to offer differentiated or trendy merchandise saw a boost in sales.