Kohl’s is one of the largest department store chains in the United States. As of February 2013, it operates 1,146 stores in 49 states.
Kohl’s has a strong presence in the Midwest, Northeast, and South. It is the largest department store chain in both Wisconsin and Oklahoma.
Kohl’s was founded in 1962 by Maxwell Kohl. In 1972, it became a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange.
In 1986, British American Tobacco Company acquired a controlling interest in Kohl’s. In 1992, Kohl’s opened its first distribution center in Edgewood, Wisconsin.
Kohl’s stores are typically located in suburban shopping malls and power centers. The average store size is 104,000 square feet (9,700 m2).
Kohl’s also operates several Off-Aisle clearance centers that are typically freestanding stores located in strip malls. These clearance centers average 18,000 square feet (1,700 m2).
In 2006, Kohl’s started constructing larger stores (122,000 to 145,000 square feet (11,300 to 13,500 m2)) and began to add more grocery items to their inventory including milk, bread, snacks, and other perishables. As of 2012, Kohl’s had 132 of these “Big Box” stores scattered throughout the United States.
As of 2013, Kohl’s has stores in 49 states. It has the strongest presence in the Midwest, Northeast, and South. Wisconsin and Oklahoma are the states with the most Kohl’s locations.
