More 'Fun,' Fewer Choices, and Stuff Under $10: How Kohl's Is Trying to Win Back Shoppers

Key Takeaways

• Kohl’s is using proprietary brands to offer lower prices and streamlining the number of styles and products it stocks, company executives said.
• The department store is trying to appeal to bargain hunters who have migrated to off-price retailers and Amazon, UBS says.

Kohl’s is in the thick of a battle for bargain hunters.

The department store company is sharpening its focus on inexpensive goods and making deals easier to spot as its turnaround campaign enters a second year. Kohl’s (KSS) is investing in lower price points and simplifying the in-store experience with signs, mannequins and less merchandise, company executives said on a conference call this week.

The retailer is concentrating on proprietary brands because focusing less on them in recent years left a “void of an opening price point,” and prompted Kohl’s credit cardholders to look elsewhere, CFO Jill Timm said. Kohl’s has ceded ground to competitors including Amazon (AMZN), Burlington Stores (BURL), Ross Stores (ROST) and TJX (TJX), likely losing a third its market share from 2013 to 2024, by UBS’ estimate.

“We know that our customer, particularly the low- to middle-income customer, is going to over-penetrate in these value brands," said Timm, according to a transcript made available by AlphaSense. "So we need to bring that to them.”

Why This News Matters to Investors

While lower-income shoppers are cutting back, department stores that cater to higher-income households have also experienced challenges. Macy’s is in the midst of a turnaround plan, and the parent company of Saks Fifth Avenue recently filed for bankruptcy.

Products that sell for under $10 are a focal point. Kohl’s is adding kids apparel that costs less than $10 and stocking toy and home goods displays with items in that price range, CEO Michael Bender said.

Kohl’s is also streamlining inventory after having “a little bit too many choices on our floor,” Timm said. Ordering more of fewer items should prevent stores from running out of popular products and simplify the browsing experience, Bender said.

Meanwhile, he said, in-store signs and mannequin displays will “bring some fun back to the Kohl’s environment."

Kohl’s this week reported another quarter of comparable sales declines—its 16th straight, according to UBS. The Wisconsin-based business expects to end its current fiscal year with sales flat to down 2% from fiscal year 2025.

Executives say they’ve made progress since last March, when then-CEO Ashley Buchanan said Kohl’s had concentrated too much on attracting new customers and overlooked its core shopper. Buchanan was fired weeks later, leaving Bender to implement a turnaround plan.

Shoppers have responded well to Kohl’s prioritizing its brands and making coupons easier to use, the company said.

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The focus on value, however, may be hard to pull off, according to UBS. “We are skeptical this can work,” the bank’s analysts said in a research note published this week. “While [Kohl’s] can lower prices, it may lose some high-quality national brands that may not want to partner with [Kohl’s] at lower prices.”

Kohl’s didn’t respond to a request for comment in time for publication.

Investors also appear skittish. Shares were recently down 5% from where they opened Wednesday—around the time Kohl’s reported its fourth-quarter results. Shares have fallen nearly 60% in the past year.

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