Kohl’s, in terms of revenue, is the second largest retailer in the United States. They have been in business since 1962 and were taken public in 1992. One thing easy to like about them is their reputation. Rated in the Fortune 500, Kohl’s is currently the #146 ranked store. They surpassed competing clothing giant JCPenney for the first time in 2013 in terms of sales. Kohl’s has over 1100 stores in the United States and has recently renovated around 100 of them, with more plans to expand the size and numbers in coming years. We found a pretty even split between mall-based stores and urban store locations. This is a sign that Kohl’s is doing well in reaching many different types of customers across the country.
The Good
- Low prices for big brand items
- Kohl’s has 55 years of experience
- Unlimited time to make returns
Kohl’s has developed a large customer base for reasons including but not limited to:
Low Prices for Big Brand Items
Saving money when shopping at Kohl’s is simple. Kohl’s consistently runs multiple promotions throughout their site, helping you as a shopper save as much money as possible. They have fashioned their online store with the same discount/money-saving model they use in their physical stores that have driven retail sales for years. There is a good amount of content duplication between the online store and physical stores. There are also many unique products in the online store that are not necessarily available elsewhere. Not only are there consistently many items of clothing for sale, but many of the items are also from top brands in the industry. Kohl’s has a great blend of top brands mixed with their exclusive brands to provide their customers with stylish and affordable options.
Kohl’s has 55 Years of Experience
Kohl’s has built itself up to become one of the strongest clothing retailer brands in the United States. While this brand growth hasn’t occurred overnight, it has occurred and is evidence of their large and supportive customer base. Being in business for 55 years has evidently taught them how to both describe and implement their various policies, helping make their shopping experience one highlighted by transparency and ultimately satisfaction from their customers.
Unlimited Time to Make Returns
One of Kohl’s most popular policies involves the way they handle returns. Truly a no-hassle/no questions asked policy, customers are given an infinite amount of days to return items of clothing. With no questions needing to be asked, no receipt is required in order to complete a return. Charges can be credited back within 12 months of the actual transaction date. If a return needs to be made outside of those 12 months, customers can be given in-store credit or a corporate-issued refund. Customers love this policy as it makes getting items returned fast and easy. As you can imagine, most of the time customers are pretty happy when they return an item to Kohl’s.
The Bad
- No free shipping offered
While Kohl’s online store excels in many ways, there is one area they fall short in when compared to other top clothing store competitors:
No Free Shipping Offered
While Kohl’s shipping rates are competitive, there is no free shipping offered at this time per a policy. For example, many other online clothing stores offer free shipping on all orders that exceed a certain amount of money. Although there is not a policy in place for free shipping, gift cards are typically sent out for free shipping when orders are over $75. Minus the fact that they do not offer a free shipping option, their rates for freight are competitive with the rest of the industry. They use a tiered system, meaning your shipping costs fluctuate based off your total amount of clothing merchandise being purchased. The two primary methods of shipment are Standard Ground and Priority Air. As was already stated prices vary, however it is reasonable to expect paying between $6 and $25 for standard ground and $16 and $60 for Priority Air. Standard Ground takes between 3 to 6 business days and Priority Mail takes between 2 to 3 business days. Not having any type of free shipping policy is unfortunate, but as you can see their shipping rates and time frames are reasonable when shopping for clothes online.
The Bottom Line
Kohl’s is one of the best online clothing retailers in the industry, especially when searching for affordable low-end clothing. They do a good job at reaching more consumers and have a good handle on the online paradigm. It is easy to like the interchangeability and sharing of items between the online site and the physical stores around the country. The return process is very easy if you purchase an online item because you can easily return the item to any store, with or without a packing slip. Due to their low prices for big brand items, 53 years of experience, and fantastic return policy we recommend shopping with them online.
