Target sounds the alarm bell on holiday shopping

https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/20/investing/target-stock-earnings-holiday/index.html

The company forecast Wednesday that sales during the final quarter of the year will be flat, and Target lowered its profit forecast. Target also reported a sluggish sales increase of just 0.3% during its latest quarter.

Target is a bellwether for consumers’ spending habits and the retail sector as a whole, and the bad news dragged rivals’ stocks lower, too, Wednesday. The holiday shopping season is pivotal for retailers. While Target can survive a weak holiday season, many smaller companies depend on strong sales during the holidays.

Target is struggling because its core middle-class customer base has been strained by higher prices and pulled back on discretionary goods like home decor, electronics and nonessential clothing in favor of groceries and everyday essentials.

But Target has also slumped because of its merchandise mix and higher prices compared to rivals like Walmart. The chain stocks more non-essential merchandise compared to competitors such as Walmart (WMT) and Costco (COST). More than half of Target’s merchandise is discretionary, making it more susceptible than its rivals to swings in consumer sentiment.