Kohl’s is the latest department store to be caught in the economic storm as they recently announced that 27 underperforming locations will close down in April. With foot traffic dwindling and sales not keeping up, the retailer has tried everything, from refreshing store layouts to switching up leadership, but nothing seems to have worked.
Alongside the store closures — one of the last moves under outgoing CEO Tom Kingsbury — about 10 percent of Kohl’s corporate workforce will also be laid off as part of the restructuring plan. Despite these challenges, Kohl’s remains confident in the strength of its remaining locations.
Which stores are affected by Kohl’s closing?
The closures stretch across multiple states, hitting some areas harder than others. California will take the biggest hit, losing ten locations, while shoppers in Alabama will see the Spanish Fort location go. In Arkansas, the Little Rock store on Chenal Parkway is also shutting down.
Popular shopping areas in cities like San Diego, Encinitas, Fremont, and Napa will lose their Kohl’s stores, with Mountain View, Pleasanton, Sacramento, San Rafael, San Luis Obispo, and Westchester also getting caught up in the shut down. Colorado’s Aurora location at Arapahoe Crossing will be closing, and Georgia’s Duluth store is not left out.
Shoppers react to the news of Kohl’s closing
As expected, social media users had a lot to say about the closures, and while some shoppers blamed the struggling economy, others pointed to the rise of online shopping. “People are moving away from malls and shopping electronically. This is just the modern version of mail-order, exactly as predicted decades ago,” someone said.
Others agreed that it is a sign that traditional retail is fading fast. “Macy’s and Kohl’s closing stores? That tells you everything about where the economy is headed,” a second person quipped. However, for many, the closures hit a little too close to home. A bothered user lamented that Kohl’s perfect mix of affordable and stylish is difficult to find in competing stores.