Dive Brief:
- Continuing its investments in physical locations, Kohl’s has debuted its new store at The Avenue Mall in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the retailer announced on Nov. 3.
- The space has a 2,500-square-foot Sephora at the front of the store. The location also features apparel from national brands and its own private labels, home goods, and kitchen appliances. The store will also accept Amazon returns, according to the announcement.
- The Wisconsin-based retailer said it plans to open four more locations this fall, including stores in Garden City, Kansas; Madison, Indiana; Forney, Texas; and Katy, Texas.
Dive Insight:
The rollout of its new Milwaukee location and other upcoming stores is part of Kohl’s plan to “capitalize on store growth opportunities over the long-term,” according to the company.
The Milwaukee location will offer shoppers various localized products from brands like MKE Home and Home by Homefield, as well as sports apparel from Wisconsin teams. It will also have self-checkout and self-pickup for online orders available for shoppers.
In addition to opening more locations, the retailer has been investing in its current stores ahead of the holiday season. In October, Kohl’s announced that it had increased its front-of-store space for seasonal products, including home decor and gifts. It also added a gift shop at the front of the store for customers seeking presents.
The new store openings come as the retailer has faced a challenging year so far. In Q1 2023, Kohl’s reported a 3.3% dip in year over year net sales to $3.4 billion. The following quarter, its losses continued with a 4.8% drop in Q2 net sales to $3.7 billion. Its net income also dropped by almost 60% to $58 million during the quarter.
In May, the company stated its plans of opening five stores this year. CEO Tom Kingsbury told analysts at the time that all stores are profitable.
