Target October sales figure rises

Analysts expected a bigger 3.3 percent increase for the four weeks through Oct. 27, according to Thomson Reuters, but CEO Gregg Steinhafel was optimistic about the all-important upcoming holiday season. Retailers can make up to 40 percent of the year's revenue from holiday shopping.

"As we enter the fourth quarter we feel very good about our holiday season merchandising and marketing plans and our ability to deliver outstanding value for our guests while generating strong financial performance for our shareholders," Steinhafel said in a statement.

To lure shoppers, Target is offering a 5 percent discount for customers that have a Target Redcard and says it will match prices from brick-and-mortar competitors.

The Minneapolis company expects the revenue figure to rise by a low-single-digit percentage in November. Revenue in stores open at least one year is a key gauge of a retailer's health, because it excludes results from stores recently opened or closed, which can skew business trends.