May 21, 2020

NEW YORK (AP) – Online sales at Target more than doubled as the pandemic put millions in lockdown during the first quarter, revealing further the critical role big box stores played in getting supplies to an immobilized population.

The Minneapolis company reported Wednesday that comparable-store sales, which include online purchases, rose 10.8% for the three-month period that ended May 2.

That was fueled by a 12.5% jump in the number of items customers bought with each trip to the store as families made major restocking runs, but made fewer trips.

CEO Brian Cornell says he’s never seen anything like the company’s last quarter, with stress levels high and people in need of basic supplies to remain safe.