Branding

Kohl’s Tries to Beat Shoppers’ Blues by Placing Dual Emphasis on Savings and Style

Newly promoted CMO Christie Raymond attempts to address consumers’ many definitions of ‘value’

Still from a Kohls ad showing a close-up of a woman holding Kohls cash — A new campaign is intended to augment existing notions of Kohl’s as a purveyor of cool, if not cutting-edge, style.Kohl's

By David Kaplan

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Random deals don’t cut it for retail customers these days.

Kohl’s, among other retailers, learned that lesson this summer. During its August Q2 earnings release, company executives cited inflation and middle-income shoppers’ economic anxieties for sales dropping 8.5%. Investors were warned that demand was likely to remain “soft” for Kohl’s roughly 1,100 stores, which are spread across 49 states.

Christie Raymond, who was promoted as Kohl’s CMO in mid-August, knows consumers need additional reasons than just price when choosing where to buy apparel, toys and home furnishings at a department store.

The brand’s established image as a discount chain is already baked in for most consumers.

David Kaplan

@davidakaplan

David Kaplan is a freelance writer for Adweek and the co-owner of Brand Newsroom LLC, an editorial consultancy.

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