Kohl’s Unveils Babies R Us Shops, Reimagines Its Home Goods
Following Kohl’s and WHP Global’s recent partnership announcement that will bring a Babies R Us store-within-a-store concept to the department store chain, the retailer has unveiled a new approach to its home goods assortment.
Enhanced Home Strategy
Kohl’s revealed on March 19 that it has increased its home assortment by 40% with the recent roll-out of new-to-Kohl’s wall art, botanicals, lighting, pet, storage, glassware/ceramics, seasonal decor and other products/categories, both in-store and online.
The move represents the retailer’s efforts to become a “more formidable player” in the home goods sector and has seen a strong initial customer response, according to a media release.
“We’ve been making meaningful changes to reposition and expand our home offerings over the past year and are excited to unveil Kohl’s new assortment of on-trend and affordable home products to customers nationwide,” Nick Jones, Kohl’s chief merchandising and digital officer, said in the release. “As part of Kohl’s broader strategy to drive growth, we identified a real opportunity in home, and we’ve been thoughtfully building the category to position ourselves as a destination for home goods.”
Notably, the enhanced home assortment and strategy:
- Is focused on approachable style and affordability.
- Maintains some of its existing key offerings, such as bedding and bath, but includes more modern aesthetics and “frequent pattern and color injections to offer a constant stream of style-forward options” for customers' evolving preferences.
- Will deliver 60% newness in home and holiday decor seasonally to position the retailer as a year-round destination for everyday occasions and seasonal holidays.
To reintroduce its home offerings to customers, Kohl’s is rolling out a multichannel marketing approach that includes immersive digital activations that the retailer says are rooted in inspiration and experimentation, such as partnerships with home design experts and a live pop-up experience in New York.
Kohl’s has also enhanced the in-store and digital shopping experience that encourages more discovery of new and exciting home goods.
“We know the way consumers shop for home goods is centered around inspiration, and we have a unique opportunity to reintroduce current customers and invite new customers to think of Kohl’s when looking for inspiration for their home,” Christie Raymond, Kohl’s chief marketing officer, said in the release. “We’re prioritizing ways to connect, drive awareness and engage with home shoppers to enhance our credibility in the category, reinforce our compelling value, and provide new ideas and solutions that spark creativity for customers, to ensure Kohl’s is a top-of-mind destination for home decor.”
Babies R Us Shops
Earlier this month, Kohl’s also unveiled plans to broaden its reach with younger consumers by launching Babies R Us shops inside approximately 200 stores this fall.
“Evolving our assortment and bringing more relevant products to the millions of customers we serve is a core focus as we continue to deliver on Kohl’s broader growth strategy,” Tom Kingsbury, Kohl’s CEO, said in a release. “We see significant opportunity in the baby gear category, and partnering with Babies R Us is another example of how we are finding new ways to optimize our assortment and further establish Kohl’s as the go-to brand for families.”
The Babies R Us shops will range from 750-2,500 square feet of dedicated space and include baby gear, activity, bath, furniture, feeding and safety products. This space will be located adjacent to Kohl’s existing assortment of baby apparel.
The shops will encourage customers to test-and-play with the products as well as feature new-to-Kohl’s baby products.
In addition to offering an expanded assortment of products on Kohls.com, the department store chain will also become the exclusive retailer for the Babies R Us at Kohl’s registry online. Kohl’s Rewards members will also earn rewards on all Babies R Us purchases both in-store and online.