- Despite the recent struggles of mall-based department stores like Sears, Macy's, and JC Penney, Kohl's has seen some success.
- One reason for this is that nine out of 10 Kohl's stores are located in suburban strip malls, away from enclosed shopping malls.
- Kohl's has also made an effort to partner with retailers like Amazon and Aldi.
While thousands of mall-based stores close across America, Kohl's is thriving.
The retailer's same-store sales surged in the critical holiday period, making bigger gains than some of its rivals, including Macy's.
In large part, this is because nine out of 10 Kohl's stores are one-level stores in suburban strip malls rather than shopping malls. This makes the retailer less likely to be affected by the declining foot traffic that has hurt malls and the retailers that depend on them, like Sears, Macy's, and JC Penney, which have all announced store closures in recent years.
On top of that, Kohl's is actually shrinking some stores as opposed to closing down completely, in addition to opening smaller stores that are about one-sixth the size of a typical Macy's. The company has also recently introduced initiatives like adding Aldi grocery stores to test locations, carrying more national brands like Adidas, and becoming a return center for Amazon purchases at select locations.
I visited a Kohl's store in Jersey City, New Jersey, to see in person what the company is doing to defy the retail apocalypse. Here's what I found:
This particular Kohl's store was in a shopping mall, but most are in strip malls or are stand-alone stores. According to the company, nine out of 10 Kohl's stores are located away from enclosed malls.
Source: Business Insider
The store was really bright and open, and it was super clean, too. Something that stood out throughout the store is that all of the displays were intact, and everything was very neatly arranged. The store was fairly empty at the time I visited.
The display closest to the entrance showed a huge selection of men's suits. Just about everything in the store seemed to be either on sale or clearance.
See the rest of the story at INSIDER
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