NEW YORK — Macy's holiday sales showed some signs of improvement compared with their weak third quarter though the department store chain still faces big challenges ahead.

Macy's said Wednesday that sales at stores opened at least a year fell 0.6%.

That number included business at licensed departments.

Macy's says business was helped by strong online sales. Shares rose almost 2% at the opening bell.

In November, Macy’s cut its annual profit and sales expectations after posting a steeper-than-expected 3.5% drop in same-store sales for the third quarter.

It marked Macy’s first quarterly comparable store sales decline in almost two years.

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