MENOMENEE FALLS, Wis. — Kohl’s Corp. announced on Tuesday that it will eliminate roughly 10% of the jobs at its corporate headquarters.
Kohl’s CEO Ashley Buchanan made the announcement in an email to employees, saying the decision was made to strengthen the company’s long-term health and profitability, Wisconsin Public Radio said.
“We reduced approximately 10 percent of the roles that report into our corporate offices,” she wrote. “More than half of the reductions came from closing open positions. The remainder of positions were held by Kohl’s corporate associates.”
The company said the layoff will affect fewer than 200 employees, but it comes on the heels of the retail chain’s announcement Jan. 9 that it will close 27 stores in 15 states and its e-commerce distribution center in San Bernardino, California.
The company has made several layoffs in recent years. Experts say it is struggling to navigate a challenging and ever-changing retail environment, BizTimes reported.
Sixty corporate workers were laid off in January 2023, mostly in the marketing and merchandising departments. In September 2020, facing ongoing pressure from the pandemic, Kohl’s cut 15% of its workforce.
Kohl’s said the move was made in support of its “ongoing actions to increase efficiencies and improve profitability for the long-term health and benefit of the business.”
The company ranks 30th among the nation’s largest retailers, according to the National Retail Federation’s roundup for 2024. In 2023, the chain had nearly 1,200 stores nationally, with annual sales of nearly $16.6 billion.
The chain struggled for much of 2024, ending the third quarter with an 8.8% decrease in year-over-year net sales. Fourth quarter earnings data have not yet been released.
