Kohl's (KSS) is in the thick of a strategic identity crisis, and its recent stock surge only throws the tension into sharper relief. Over the past three years, shares of the department store chain have dropped 56%. Zoom into the last 52 weeks, and it's a 36% downslide.
The company’s market share has steadily slipped under pressure from both brick-and-mortar rivals and e-commerce juggernauts. Internal dysfunction has only deepened the trouble. In early May, Kohl’s abruptly ousted CEO Ashley Buchanan following an internal investigation, raising serious questions about leadership stability.
