Posted on 01/11/2016 10:19:33 AM PST by afraidfortherepublic
Directors of Kohl's Corp., which has been struggling to regain at least some of the growth that once made the company a retailing star, are weighing the possibility of going private, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.
Citing a person familiar with the situation, the paper said directors are debating whether to hire an investment bank to explore alternatives that could include sale to a private equity firm. The discussions are preliminary and may not lead to such action, the paper reported.
But New York-based retail consultant Howard Davidowitz said the considerable cash flow Kohl's generates makes it attractive to potential buyers.
"Kohl's is a target," he said. "They will be a target, and I think the board is trying to figure out should they be proactive or reactive."
A Kohl's representative said the company, which reports earnings next month, is in a quiet period and cannot comment.
A sale of the Menomonee Falls company could have profound effects locally. Private equity firms often seek to wring costs out of their acquisitions, and Kohl's employs some 5,000 people at its headquarters.
The report of discussions by the board comes as Kohl's stock has plunged from a briefly held peak, and as the firm tries to lift its long-sluggish performance with an initiative it calls its "Greatness Agenda."
Launched in the fall of 2014, the effort has a goal of raising annual sales by $2 billion, to $21 billion in 2017. Results to date have been uneven, but CEO Kevin Mansell has maintained that the company is on the right path.
The $2 billion increase presumes gains in comparable-store sales - a key retail indicator - of 2% to 3% a year, far above Kohl's performance of the last few years.
(Excerpt) Read more at jsonline.com ...
Changes in store for Kohl’s marketing style? I just bought a new bed and am looking for a deal on a comforter set and new sheets. I’ve been waiting for “coupons off” from Kohl’s and NONE have come since Christmas. Sign of changing times ???
FReep Mail me if you want on, or off, this Wisconsin interest ping list.
They’d do better making the dressing rooms private. The last time my child was in the women’s dressing room there was a man in there and they did nothing about it. They lost this customer forever.
Kohls sucks.
Here is my take on Kohls. They began stocking products some years ago tied to Celebrities. Among them were Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, and a whole bunch of Food channel celebs. I don’t care to spend money on products that gives those people a cut.
I shop at local Kohls maybe twice a year
I got one over the weekend. They’re still going out.
Didn’t their business nosedive when they started pushing a pro-homosexual message?
Well, if they got back all the money I’ve saved with them these past two years, they’d easily meet that increased sales of $2 billion, LOL!
Yep. I haven’t gotten a 30% off coupon since last summer, so something is afoot!
LOVE that store. I sure hope they don’t wreck it!
That was JC Penney.
Even with the line of customers waiting to check out wrapping around the front of the store, they still had to give you the whole spiel when you finally got up there about how much your would save on your purchase if only you would sign up for one of their credit cards or some such. Yeah, that's what I want to do. Gum up the works applying for a credit card with 60 angry customers behind me who just want to check out and get the hell out of there.
So I do most of the shopping I would do at Kohl's on Amazon these days. I take my chances with the clothing. Usually they fit alright but if not, Amazon let's me ship them back at no charge to get another size.
Five years ago I went into our local Kohl’s to buy some clothes for my wife for Christmas. The store was not very busy at that time and I could not find the suit that was pictured in the advertisement I had with me. I finally chased down an employee and she said, in a sarcastic voice, they probably never had that suit then pointed to the Women’s section and told me “good luck.” I have never been inside a Kohl’s since.
Kohls doesn’t want me as a customer. No Big & Tall section.
Hi, just chiming in to say that although I have not gotten much in coupons via Snail Mail from Kohl’s, I do get emailed printable coupons frequently, at least once a week.
Like others, I have saved a boatload of money selectively shopping at Kohl’s. Email is where I get most of my coupons from Kohl’s now.
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