Kohl's touts new brand partnerships ahead of the holidays

Dive Brief:

To entice early holiday deal seekers, Kohl's is kicking off its five-day holiday event on Wednesday to offer discounts on products like jewelry, shoes, home goods, luggage, intimates and accessories, the retailer announced on Friday.
The department store is capitalizing on its recent partnerships this year, advertising new brands including Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and Eddie Bauer, per the press release.
The company is also offering customers $5 of Kohl's Cash coupons for each $25 spent between Wednesday and Sunday. Shoppers can also take advantage of other Kohl's Card and Kohl's Rewards incentives, according to the announcement.

Dive Insight:

Kohl's has jumped on the early holiday deal bandwagon along with other major retailers such as Best Buy, Sam's Club, Amazon and Target.

The retailers' decision to roll out deals early coincides with consumers' desire to buy their holiday items well before Black Friday. It also builds on a trend from last year, when retailers sought to avoid crowds and spread out spending by enticing consumers to shop early. The ICSC's Annual Holiday Shopping Intentions survey this year found that three-fourths of respondents will shop early for their holiday gifts.

Kohl's is also capitalizing on its new brand partnerships this year, having worked to build out its product assortment. In February, the retailer announced that it would sell Eddie Bauer products this fall across hundreds of stores and online as demand for outdoor gear increased. A couple of months later, the retailer said it would add Tommy Hilfiger men's sportswear to more than 600 stores and online this fall. The retailer's Sephora partnership is also in the midst of a rollout, with the companies announcing in April the shop-in-shops will feature more than 125 beauty brands.

All of those brand partnerships were touted as the company presented itself as a holiday destination, while the department store also highlighted its offerings in key holiday categories like home, toys, cozy products, and active and casual apparel.

Kohl's highlighting discounts could also resonate with consumers as they seek to save as much as possible this season. ICSC found that 80% of respondents said they're considering holiday deals when making purchasing decisions, and 38% of respondents are planning their shopping activities with promotional events in mind. Similar to the ICSC's findings, JLL also found in a recent survey that 34.4% of respondents said saving money is their primary concern.