After years of struggle, many changes have come to Kohl's (KSS) and more are coming.
Earlier this year Kohl's was facing a buyout option with Franchise Group (FRG), but after citing a volatile market, Kohl's chose to end the buyout talks. Not long after the deal fell through Kohl's began making major changes to its fashion lines.
Kohl's launched a section of its store dedicated to seasonal fashion for women by women and focusing on different trends like sustainability, environment, gender neutral clothing called Discover @ Kohls.
The new section of the store will also have programs that give back to organizations. The first such program was through Gorongosa Project in Mozambique, Africa involving the Gorongosa Coffee Co. that donates 100% of its profits to support the project. The project is working towards finding sustainable solutions to the environment in Africa.
Kohl's has upped its game against Target (TGT) by adding a store-in-store option of Sephora, a Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton company (LVMHF) , in house. Target has a store-in-store option with Ulta Beauty (ULTA).
Kohl's was able to make this partnership after Sephora and JCPenney’s (JCPNQ) partnership was coming to an end. Seizing the opportunity to expand its retail footprint with a well-known retailer, Kohl's has expanded its beauty and skin care lines.
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Kohl's New Target
At the age of 20, most people do not even think about what their body is capable of. According to the Disabilitycanhappen.org, 20% of them will experience a disability prior to retirement age. It could be an injury leading to a short-term disability, an illness or even a pregnancy. How a disability would change someone’s daily life can be staggering.
An injury could keep you from being able to enter your home if you have stairs leading into your home and could keep you from getting to your bedroom. Most homes are not made with Americans with Disabilities Act compliance, which includes wider hallways, room for wheelchair access, rails to help with getting up or down from sitting and more. Some of these modifications can easily be made with spending money, what about the little things you think you can do, like making a meal, showering, eating or getting dressed?
Kohl's is bringing the attention to those who are either disabled or differently abled, in a fashion sense that is. The clothing offering to people who struggle to get dressed on their own. This could either be from an injury that is creating a short-term disability, an illness that has created a greater difficulty in getting dressed, or someone who is permanently unable to dress or undress themselves. Kohl's believes that these people deserve to have the right to high fashion trends and comfort as well as anyone else shopping its aisles.
Celebrate Independence
Kohl's new apparel will be provided by three of the private label brands, Sonoma Goods for Life, Tek Gear and SO brands. These brands will create adaptive designs for adults keeping comfort and functionality in mind with fashions extended across all the everyday clothing needs.
Apparel items will empower its consumers with the ability to express themselves through their fashion choices, something most people take for granted when being able to choose clothing.
Kohl's partnered with GAMUT Management, an organization that represents people with disabilities. The two companies worked with focus groups of people who have disabilities to find out what was most functional and worked for everyday needs and in today's trends. This project is set to bring about an adaptive adult collection of clothing that will continue to grow and expand with its consumers needs as well as what is popular in fashion.
This project is intended to provide a sense of independence for those who require assistance in getting dressed and undressed, but also helping them choose their fashions and having the fashion they like work for them in their different abilities.
Kohl's continues to raise the bar when it comes to bringing voices to groups of people who have not had a voice in mass fashion, including gender neutral clothing for kids, fashion lines for women by women, and now apparel for people with disabilities. Today Kohl's is finding a way to make consumers proud to shop its aisles with what it supports and represents.
