Kohl’s to reduce floor space in half of its stores by end of year

There are some major changes going on at Kohl's stores.



The department store retailer announced plans to make nearly half its locations "operationally smaller through balancing inventory and adjusting fixtures" by the end of 2017. To date, the new interior layouts have been rolled outin 300 of Kohl's 1,100 locations.



In addition, Kohl’s plans to "right-size" the physical square footage of its store in Warner Robbins, Ga., reducing it from an 89,000-sq.-ft. store to a 62,000-sq.-ft. one. The chain's store in Fort Smith, Ark., will be reduced from 87,000 sq. ft. to 62,000 sq. ft.



Kohl’s is also upping its commitment to small format stores, In October, the chain will open small-format stores, averaging 35,000 sq. ft. each, in North Smithfield, Rhode Island; Blue Ash, Ohio; East Windsor, N.J.; and Montebello, Calif.



In spring 2018, Kohl’s will open a single-level 55,000-sq.-ft. store in Greenfield, Wis., which will be a relocation from its current two-level 85,000 sq. ft. store in nearby Southridge Mall. Earlier this year, Kohl’s relocated its 80,000-sq.-ft. Charlotte, N.C., store to a nearby 55,000 sq.-ft. location.



“Our stores remain at the core of our omnichannel strategy and we will continue to invest in them by opening smaller formats, rightsizing and optimizing our selling space and working to ensure that shopping in our stores is an engaging and inspiring experience for our customers,” said Kevin Mansell, Kohl’s chairman, CEO and president.



Kohl’s also announced it will begin shipping from its fifth e-commerce fulfillment center in Plainfield, Ind., this month. The 937,000-sq.-ft. facility is equipped with state-of-the-art technology to maximize productivity and throughput.



“We have set a goal to be the best-in-class omnichannel retailer and opening our fifth e-commerce distribution center will support the delivery of online orders faster and more efficiently to customers nationwide," said Mansell.