Thanks for Visiting!

Register for free to get the full story.

Sign Up
Already have a Placer.ai account? Log In

Let's Talk About Kohl's

by 
Ethan Chernofsky
 on 
January 26, 2022
Let's Talk About Kohl's

Few companies in retail have been under a more intense spotlight of late than Kohl’s. From potential takeovers to splitting its online and offline businesses, the attention on the department leader has only increased in recent weeks. 

So where does the company’s physical retail performance stand and how is it trending?

A Dulled Recovery

Kohl’s had seen a steady and significant recovery throughout the first half of 2021 with the year-over-two-year (Yo2Y) visit gap declining from 18.8% in February to just 5.7% in July. Traffic was returning at a consistent pace and the retailer seemed poised to come near or even surpass 2019 numbers. 

Yet, by August, the visit gap had increased to 15.1%. And while October did see the visit gap at just 7.6%, the holiday period saw visits down 21.1% and 16.4% in November and December respectively. But though these numbers were certainly disappointing, they tell only a small part of the Kohl’s story.

Visits Trending Up?

Weekly visits from the start of October compared to the equivalent weeks in 2019 shows a far more nuanced story. Visits in the early stages of the holiday period were fairly steady before comparisons to Black Friday 2019 caused visits to decline dramatically. Much of this centered around the wider retail declines on Black Friday in 2021 and the loss of Thanksgiving as a day for shopping. 

As a result, from the week beginning November 22nd, the Yo2Y visit gap began to steadily shrink throughout December and into January – where the week of January 3rd saw visits down just 9.6%. So while the declines may be disappointing, it’s clear that the unique confluence of 2021 retail challenges – namely COVID, supply chain, and labor shortages – had a significant impact on limiting Kohl’s visit recovery.

Strategic Decisions Paying Off

It’s also worth noting the clear payoff the brand is seeing in the major strategic decision to partner with Sephora. Visits to Kohl’s locations with Sephora store-in-stores have consistently outperformed those without. Looking at the weeks beginning January 3rd and 10th, visits to Kohl’s locations with Sephora store-in-stores saw visits down just 5.7% and 4.9%, compared to 10.5% and 15.7% for those without.

And equally critical is remembering that Kohl’s was performing incredibly well in 2019 and 2020 prior to the pandemic. The retailer saw monthly year over year visit growth from June 2019 through February 2020, with the first two months of 2020 seeing visit jumps of 12.2% and 14.9%, respectively. This provides important context for the brand’s recent foot traffic performance, and the difficult standard that current visits are being put up against.

The Takeaway

Many factors will inform the ultimate business decisions regarding the future of Kohl’s, and those will go far beyond the offline performance of Kohl’s locations. However, it is critical to properly contextualize Kohl’s offline performance of late – and the result of this analysis should lead to quite a bit of optimism.

First, the retailer was seeing significant strength heading into the pandemic, meaning that our last ‘normal’ comparison was to a period when the company was well-positioned. This matters not only because Kohl’s was doing very well as recently as 2020, but also because current metrics – likely heavily impacted by COVID and other challenges – are being compared to a very strong period. 

Second, the major strategic decisions the brand has made – namely the partnership with Sephora – look to be paying off and driving significant visit strength. This speaks not only to the strong vision the company has for its retail future but also to the keen understanding of its market and how to better serve this audience.

Third, visits have already been trending back to a better place, even amid the uniquely challenging environment retail is currently facing.

The resulting conclusion? The likelihood of a continued recovery for Kohl’s offline visits is significant, and the current challenges may be more a distraction from the true brick-and-mortar trajectory than a sign of where performance is truly heading.

How will Kohl’s perform as 2022 carries on? 

Visit Placer.ai to find out.

Get 3 brand & industry
breakdowns every week

Subscribe to the newsletter

Great! Prepare your inbox for data-driven insights...
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Get a Demo

Please enter your first name
Please enter your last name
Please provide a valid email
Please enter your email
Please enter company name

Thanks for reaching out!

One of our experts will be in touch soon

Try Placer.ai Free
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Pent-Up Demand Ahead of October Sales Events
4 Strategies Retailers are Using to Drive Traffic to Their Venues
5 Key Regional Grocery Players Impressing in 2023
Upscale Kitchenware Trending Up
Costco Finds More Room for Growth
Four C-Store Chains Making an A-Grade
National Parks + Outdoor Summer Activities
Diving Into Darden: Summer 2023 Update
The Summer Event Effect
Messi: Massive in Miami
Looking Back on Back to School 2023
The Anchor Recap: August 2023
Placer.ai Office Index: August 2023 Recap
Placer.ai Mall Index: August 2023 Recap
Placer.ai White Paper Recap: August 2023
Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte Strikes Again
Big Scoop: We All Scream For Ice Cream
Sports Away: Lululemon & Nike’s Momentum Continues
Summer Visits Heat Up For Recreation and Outdoor Gear Chains
No CSS overwrite - July 2023 Office Index Recap
Staging - August 2023 Mall Indec
Mid-Atlantic Grocery Deep Dive
Experiential Chains Heating Up This Summer
Petco Goes Big by Going Small
Ulta Beauty: Leading the Discretionary Pack
Discount and Dollar Chains Continue to Thrive
Summer of Sports: DICK’s Sporting Goods and Hibbett Sports
Off-Price: Succeeding Into Summer
The Anchor Recap: July 2023
Superstores Maintaining Pandemic Gains Amidst Economic Headwinds
2023: Home Improvement at the Halfway Point
July 2023 Office Index Recap
Placer.ai Mall Index: July 2023 Recap
widget test
The Taylor Swift Visit Lift
Southwestern Grocery Dive
July 2023 White Paper Recap: Halfway Point Review & Quarterly Index
Yum! Brands: Driving Dining Visits
Slurpees and Summer Movies Stimulate Consumer Foot Traffic
Cool Beans: Summer Coffee Update
Checking In on Back to School 2023
Crocs and New Balance Tip The Scales
Burger Bliss: Shake Shack and In-N-Out Stacking Visits
Chipotle & McDonald's Continue to Reign Supreme
Vibenomics and Placer.ai Partner to Enhance Retail Media In-Store Measurement
California Grocers Here We Come!
Marriott’s Different Audiences
Bonchon and Kura Sushi Thrive in the Fast-Casual Scene
A Shoe In: Footwear Climbs to the Top
Cheers! Raising a Glass to Beverage Retail
Placer.ai Office Index: June 2023 Recap
Placer.ai Mall Index June 2023 Recap – A Turn of the Tide and a Dive into Open-Air Lifestyle Centers
Local Kitchens: Redefining the Restaurant
Unlocking Urban Insights: The Value in Manhattan’s Employees
Ohio State Parks On The Rise
How is Inflation Impacting the High-Income Shoppers?
Five Fast-Growing Dining Chains
What To Expect From Prime Day and July Sales Events in 2023
The State Of Fashion: How Are Apparel Retailers Faring in 2023?
2023’s Latest Dining Success Story: GEN Korean BBQ House
The NBA Finals: A Location Intelligence Perspective
Moving the Market: The Impact of Domestic Migration on Housing Costs
Post-Pandemic Museum Update
The Darden-est Things
The Enduring Demand for Urban and Suburban Retail
Leveraging Data to Evaluate the Impact of Municipal Investments
Trader Joe's Success Amidst Food Inflation and Changing Consumer Behavior
Placer.ai Office Index: May 2023 Recap
Fitness at its Fittest: Staying Strong in 2023
Movie Theaters, Off-Price, and Home Improvement: May 2023 Recap
Placer.ai Mall Index - May 2023 Recap
What’s Working for Bath & Body Works?
Why Are Specialty Grocers Thriving in 2023?
The CAVA Craze: A Location Intelligence Perspective on the Mediterranean Marvel
How Will Primark’s US Expansion Impact Target?
All Eyes on Eyewear
Northwestern U.S. Grocery Dive
Return of the Lunch: Salad Chains Are Thriving
Retail Media Networks – Off the Beaten Track
Bet Your Bottom Dollar: Discount and Dollar Stores Drive Foot Traffic
Ulta & Lululemon: Discretionary Spending On The Up
The Score After Q1: Sporting Goods Chains
Who Uses NYC Airports: Biting Into The Big Apple’s Main Transport Hubs
Off Price: Strength in The Face of Retail Challenges
Visits Improve for Home Improvement
Walmart, Target & Wholesalers in Q1 2023 – The Return of Mission-Driven Shopping?
Department Store Roundup: Q1 2023
Placer.ai Office Index: April 2023 Recap
Placer.ai Mall Index, April 2023 – A Rebound on the Horizon?
How Will Bed Bath & Beyond’s Bankruptcy Impact the Retail Space?
Buffet Restaurants: Filling Up on Foot Traffic
Thrift Stores: Vintage Visits Drive New Age in Apparel
The Windy City: A Hub of Post-Pandemic Opportunity
Diving into Dining Traffic - Q1 2023
Bring On The Joe
A Dollar (or more) For Your Thoughts: Five Below and pOpshelf
Dining Out With The Cheesecake Factory
Retail Foot Traffic Recap – March 2023
Digging Into 2023: McDonald’s and Chipotle Update
Placer.ai Office Index: March 2023 Recap