Kohl's opening 'Off Aisle' concept in New Jersey

Kohl’s is preparing to open a store in Southern New Jersey called "Off Aisle by Kohl's," a name that suggests the company may be following the lead of other retailers opening off-price formats.

It is not readily apparent what the assortment or pricing will be at the new offering from Kohl's. Multiple attempts to reach representatives at Kohl's were unsuccessful.

But a search of federal trademark registrations reveals that the retailer's assistant general counsel registered to trademark the name “Off Aisle by Kohl’s” in March and again in April. The retailer has also begun advertising and preliminary hiring procedures for associates for the store, located in the New Jersey section of the greater Philadelphia area.

Macy’s announced earlier this month that its off-price business called Backstage will debut this fall. Off-price retailers provide a compelling value proposition to customers because they see major brands at discounted prices.The move by Macy's (and Kohl's?) comes as off-price chains, led by TJ Maxx and Ross Stores, have outperformed major retailers in the past few quarters.

Last week Kohl’s reported that sales at existing stores grew 1.4% in the three months ended May 2, slower than the 1.5%-2.5% growth the company forecast for the year. The retailer joined rivals Macy’s and JCPenney in reporting lackluster results.

Kohl's is headquartered in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls, Wisc., and operates 1,164 stores in 49 states.