Target, on the other hand, has had a lot more difficulty in growing at a solid pace. Investors were actually excited when the department-store retailer managed to post a 1.9% increase in comparable sales over the holiday season, and much of that came from a 34% leap in e-commerce-related sales. Growth in key areas like kids, style, baby, and wellness has exceeded the rest of Target's departments, validating new CEO Brian Cornell's decision to emphasize the four categories as growth drivers. Yet Target has less of a competitive defense against online retail specialists than Home Depot, and that has required Target to turn to partnerships with fashion designers to give itself exclusivity and build up excitement about its products. Growth is likely to be slower at Target than Home Depot.