ap photo In this Feb. 22 file photo, shoppers arrive at a Macy’s in Charlotte, N.C. Macy’s emerged from an unprecedented year by swinging to a profit and it upped its expectations for the year. The retailer on Tuesday posted net income of $103 million, after reporting a loss in the same period a year earlier.

NEW YORK — At Walmart, sales of teeth whitener are popping as customers take their masks off. So are travel items. Macy’s says that special occasion dressing like prom dresses are on the upswing as well as luggage, men’s tailored clothing, and dressy sandals.

Shoppers, newly vaccinated, are emerging from their homes and going out again, and that, along with government stimulus payments, is helping to boost fiscal first-quarter results for major retailers Walmart and Macy’s. They were among the first to release figures that covered the spring period. Walmart, the nation’s largest retailer, boosted its annual earnings-per-share outlook, while Macy’s surprisingly swung back into the profit column and it boosted its guidance for all of 2021.

“Our optimism is higher than it was at the beginning of the year,” said Walmart CEO Doug McMillon. “In the U.S., customers clearly want to get out and shop.”

Jeff Gennette, CEO of Macy’s, told analysts on the earnings call Tuesday that shoppers feel more emboldened to shop.

“Clearly our customer is ready to get on with life,” Gennette said. “We don’t see this as a short-term pop.”

Home Depot, the nation’s largest home improvement chain, also delivered stellar results on Tuesday, showing that an overcharged housing market continues to keep aisles full. The Atlanta-based company reported sales that blew past Wall Street expectations.

The overall strong results are a good omen for other major retailers who are slated to report their results in the next few days. During the height of the pandemic-induced lockdowns, Walmart and Home Depot were allowed to stay open, while non-essential retailers like Macy’s were forced to temporarily close, dealing a devastating blow to business. That helped increase the dominance of big box chains.

Tuesday’s results show that for now, Walmart and Home Depot are able to keep sales strong even as the pandemic eases. Walmart served as a pandemic lifeline for shoppers loading up their pantry with groceries and basic household goods, while Home Depot benefited as shut-in shoppers continue to focus on making home improvements. Macy’s solid comeback is encouraging news for other department stores and specialty chains, indicating that customers are ready to buy clothing, a business that was in the dumps.

Of course, retailers face plenty of challenges, particularly shortages of essential workers even as the unemployment rate remains high. Many companies are now having to offer more perks or increase hourly wages. Shoppers could also pull back as costs of groceries go up. And Walmart and other discounters still face increasing competition from online juggernaut Amazon.