Target Sales Surge As Americans Lean on Big Box Stores

NEW YORK (AP) -- Target has reported that its sales as measured by a key metric registered their strongest performance to date for the company's fiscal second quarter.

It's the latest evidence that big-box stores are becoming consumers' prime shopping destinations during the pandemic.

Target, Walmart and Home Depot have all benefited as Americans limit their trips to a few stores and focus on stay-at-home activities, from cooking to do-it-yourself projects and decorating.

Minneapolis-based Target said Wednesday that comparable sales, which include online sales, soared 24.3% in the three-month period that ended Aug. 1. Online sales surged 195%.

The company says shoppers bought a wide variety of items from food to clothing.