Target Corp.’s stellar financial performance today reflects an operator firing on all pistons in a market strewn with retail bankruptcies, store closures and COVID-19-related shopper anxiety.
The six — Target, Walmart, Amazon, Costco, Home Depot and Lowe’s — are all seeing substantial year-over-year gains in sales. “Although many factors are behind the record growth, the Big Six all share common performance drivers,” Johnson told WWD.
The macro-economic picture also bodes well for the “Big Six.” While unemployment remains high, wages and salaries are stable, and expected to tick up when July’s numbers are released. “Meanwhile personal savings rates are still at a very healthy 19 percent [for June],” Johnson told WWD.“Retail sales are also bolstered by the steep decline in spending on travel, entertainment and restaurants,” he added.