A BELOVED perk at Kohl’s has been taken away this month, and it could inconvenience some shoppers.
It comes among several changes the retailer has been making to improve financial woes.
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For at least eight years, Kohl’s shoppers have been able to bring in Amazon packages to be returned.
The collaboration between the companies began in 2017 only at stores in California and Wisconsin.
Two years later, in 2019, it was expanded to all stores nationwide with the exception of Kohl’s in Anchorage, Alaska.
Kohl’s said at the time that having the perk would ideally boost sales and increase foot traffic, with customers having a look around in-store while coming to take their Amazon package back.
“We’re really going to just continue to be focused on all of our initiatives to drive traffic, and Amazon is obviously one of those key items, Sephora being another one,” CFO Jill Tim noted in a statement.
During an earnings call a few years later, in 2021, Kohl’s said it brought in an additional two million customers due to its Amazon partnership.
GONE FOR GOOD?
However, starting March 11, select locations in Massachusetts, Missouri, Washington, and Wisconsin began to turn away Amazon packages that customers brought in.
An employee who spoke with the Daily Mail said customers who brought in Amazon returns were advised to head to the nearest UPS store instead.
“Kohl’s has been providing a service to customers by accepting returns from Amazon and select other third parties across our store fleet at our Return Drop for several years,” a corporate spokesperson also told the publication.
“To continue to learn from our customers, we are conducting a test in a handful of stores where we will be temporarily discontinuing the third-party returns service.”
The Kohl’s spokesperson added that the action is part of its “test and learn culture,” meant to boost the store experience and get to the bottom of shoppers’ “expectations and preferences.”
Kohl’s did not immediately respond to The U.S. Sun’s request for more information.
Some shoppers who already caught wind of the perk removal were confused.
“Kohl’s is wacky I can’t begin to tell you how much money I’ve spent by taking an Amazon package back,” a longtime customer, Anne, wrote in a post on Facebook.
HISTORY OF KOHL’S REVEALED
Kohl’s, an American department store retail chain operated by Kohl’s Corporation, currently has 1,165 locations, with stores in every U.S. state except Hawaii.
The company was founded by Polish immigrant Maxwell Kohl, who opened a corner grocery store in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1927.
This store grew into a successful local chain, and in 1962, Kohl’s opened its first department store.
In 1972, British American Tobacco Company acquired a controlling interest in the company, which remained under the management of the Kohl family until 1979, when it was sold to BATUS Inc.
A group of investors bought the company from British American Tobacco in 1986 and took it public in 1992.
Headquartered in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee, Kohl’s became the largest department store chain in the United States in May 2012, surpassing JCPenney.
The company is listed on both the S&P 400 and the Fortune 500, and in 2019, it ranked as the 23rd-largest retailer in the United States by revenue.
As of February 2023, Tom Kingsbury serves as CEO of Kohl’s, having accepted the position after serving on an interim basis since December 2022.
He succeeded Michelle Gass, who moved to a position with Levi Strauss.
“Don’t they realize when you walk in the store to take this back and they give you a coupon you’re gonna start shopping before you leave, you look through the store.”
“It’s very rarely that I just come in and drop off a package and immediately walk out the door without checking what’s in the clothing or jewelry…” she continued.
Anne added that Kohl’s “really need[s] to think about” how well the removal of the Amazon return option would go over with customers.
RESTRICTED ACCESS
Kohl’s CEO Ashley Buchanan also recently confirmed the axing of a policy that was causing shoppers “frustration and confusion.”
Buchanan took over in January for former CEO Tom Kingsbury.
Since taking the helm, Buchanan has pushed for several adjustments, as Kohl’s has cited losses for over 11 fiscal quarters consecutively, with stock value dropping by over 50%.
That includes the removal of a policy that led to a plethora of exclusions on Kohl’s Cash and coupons, one of the most popular aspects of the retailer’s shopping experience.
Customers use Kohl’s Cash to get sweet deals on products and there are some beneficial promotional periods offered yearly.
While the benefit is praised, many haven’t been able to use it in recent years due to the number of exclusions and restrictions for which Kohl’s Cash could be used.
REMOVAL IMMINENT
Buchanan noted in a recent earnings call that 2024 had the most exclusions on its coupons ever, something that would not be happening again this year.
“We are in the process of reversing some of these exclusions to simplify the experience and allow our customers to shop with our promotional coupons more consistently,” the CEO said.
He added there would be “more clarity in price and value messages,” and it would be amplified to “resonate” with shoppers.
Kohl’s return policy has also come under fire, leaving the company apologizing after a customer claimed they fell victim to a “bait and switch.”
The retailer is also still closing at least 27 “underperforming” stores in 15 states this year.
