Discounts and sales events have remained a significant sales driver, as consumers emerge from a more than two-year stretch of high inflation. It’s unclear how much those deals will cut into Target’s and other retailers’ profit margins, and whether sales will keep improving if promotions fade away.

Sales for the 2024 holiday shopping season turned out to be robust and better than expected, as easing inflation on merchandise drove shoppers to buy, according to the nation’s largest retail trade group.

Target leaned in heavily toward promotions and sales during the holidays, a strategy that seems to have left it in the middle of the pack of retailers for the season. The Minneapolis-based retailer said Thursday its comparable sales rose about 2%,