Kohl’s Not Planning More Store Closures, Focuses on Optimizing Existing Stores

The CEO of Kohl’s recently indicated that the company has no plans to close more stores in the current year after closing more than two dozen in the previous year.

Kohl’s Strategy Amid Declining Sales

In 2025, Kohl’s, a leading department store chain, closed 27 stores across 15 states with the aim of achieving a better financial position amidst falling sales. In November the same year, the Wisconsin-based company appointed Michael Bender as the new CEO.

During a conference call after the release of Kohl’s quarterly earnings, Bender stated that there is no “grand plan” to either close or open stores. The current focus is on optimizing existing stores and improving their productivity.

Recent Changes at Kohl’s

With over 1,150 locations, Kohl’s has announced that more than 90% of its stores are profitable. As part of the company’s annual review of store performance, Bender noted that the process would focus on ensuring the stores are well-positioned and delivering expected outcomes.

Kohl’s Strategy Amid Market Competition

Recent years have posed challenges for Kohl’s due to stiff competition from ecommerce giant Amazon and discount retailers like Ross Stores. This has prompted the company to focus on driving traffic to its physical and online stores. Kohl’s CFO, Jill Timm, shared that they are making changes in how they manage inventory to encourage more in-store shopping.

Kohl’s Store Closures

In terms of financial performance, Kohl’s is expected to see full-year sales either remain flat or decrease by up to 2%, which is slightly higher than analysts’ predicted 0.7% drop to $14.85 billion. In the most recent quarter, Kohl’s reported sales of $4.97 billion which fell a little short of analysts’ estimates of $5.03 billion.

Kohl’s Market Performance

Kohl’s stocks showed an upward trend in Thursday morning trading, with a rise of over 3%. However, it has been a roller coaster ride for the company’s shares, with a 6.89% drop in the past five days and a 41% decrease year-to-date, countered by a more than 42% rise in the past year.

Reuters contributed to this report.