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We went to a Kohl's store and saw how it's bucking the trend of dying department stores and malls

Jessica Tyler,Jessica Tyler   

We went to a Kohl's store and saw how it's bucking the trend of dying department stores and malls
Retail1 min read

Kohls 6972

Business Insider/Jessica Tyler

The electronics department at Kohl's in Jersey City, New Jersey.

  • Despite the recent struggles of mall-based department stores like Sears, Macy's, and JC Penney, Kohl's has seen some success.
  • One reason for this is that nine out of 10 Kohl's stores are located in suburban strip malls, away from enclosed shopping malls.
  • Kohl's has also made an effort to partner with retailers like Amazon and Aldi.

While thousands of mall-based stores close across America, Kohl's is thriving.

The retailer's same-store sales surged in the critical holiday period, making bigger gains than some of its rivals, including Macy's.

In large part, this is because nine out of 10 Kohl's stores are one-level stores in suburban strip malls rather than shopping malls. This makes the retailer less likely to be affected by the declining foot traffic that has hurt malls and the retailers that depend on them, like Sears, Macy's, and JC Penney, which have all announced store closures in recent years.

On top of that, many Kohl's stores are actually shrinking as opposed to closing down completely. The company has also recently introduced initiatives like adding Aldi grocery stores to test locations, carrying more national brands like Adidas, and becoming a return center for Amazon purchases at select locations.

I visited a Kohl's store in Jersey City, New Jersey, to see in person what the company is doing to defy the retail apocalypse. Here's what I found:

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