Kohl's Adding Sephora Shops to 400 Additional Stores

Kohl's Corp. is adding Sephora beauty shops to 400 additional department stores, the company announced Tuesday. The 400 stores will span 36 states, eight of which are new homes to Sephora at Kohl’s. They will bring the Sephora at Kohl’s location total to 600, putting the partnership on track to meet its goal of 850 stores by 2023. Sephora at Kohl’s features a 2,500-square-foot shop which mimics the look and feel of a freestanding Sephora. The Sephora shops feature an assortment of makeup, skin care, hair and fragrance brands, and are staffed by Sephora-trained beauty advisers.

Total Retail's Take: As Kohl's looks to build its presence in the beauty category, the department store chain is relying on Sephora to help with attracting customers. The partnership with Sephora gives Kohl's instant credibility in the category, which is a targeted growth area for the department store chain. Furthermore, it comes at a time when Kohl's and its current leadership team is under immense pressure from investors to hasten the company's turnaround. National brand partnerships, omnichannel services, and catering to consumers' active and casual lifestyles are all areas where Kohl's is investing time and resources to help it come back stronger as both a brick-and-mortar and digital destination for shoppers post-pandemic.