KOHL’S customers have lost out on a key perk following the retail giant’s move to officially axe the returns service after an eight year run.
As Kohl’s backtracks on accepting Amazon returns, the inconvenience will force shoppers to look to other alternatives.
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Kohl’s has temporarily halted accepting Amazon returns at certain stores, “conducting a test” in select locations that will no longer offer the service.
“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,” said Jen Johnson, senior vice president of corporate communications for Kohl’s, in a statement.
“To continue to learn from our customers, we are conducting a test in a handful of our stores where we will be temporarily discontinuing the third-party returns service.
“Kohl’s has a test and learn culture that helps us to evolve our store experience and stay informed about customers expectations and preferences.”
The retailer did not specify how long the test would last or which locations would be impacted by the change.
The U.S. Sun reached out to Kohl’s for comment but did not immediately hear back.
Kohl’s stores in Leominster, Massachusetts; Eau Claire, Wisconsin; and Washington, Missouri, have dropped the service, per Modern Retail.
A worker shared on a subreddit for Kohl’s employees that the test was announced internally at their store two months ago and is expected to continue for 90 days as the chain assesses how it impacts business.
Many Kohl’s employees supported the company’s decision to eliminate the return service.
“I hope they do this overall,” commented one worker. “Amazon is a headache and can’t be worth it with the amount of work and man hours it takes to do it.
“Just palletizing and loading it onto the truck is wasted hours, let alone the receiving and sorting side.”
A DYNAMIC DUO
Kohl’s teamed up with e-commerce giant Amazon in 2017 to permit shoppers to return Amazon purchases at Kohl’s stores in California and Wisconsin without the need for a box or label.
The service was later expanded in 2019, allowing for Amazon returns at all 1,100 Kohl’s locations in the US except for Anchorage, Alaska.
Kohl’s took on the partnership hoping to increase foot traffic to its stores.
Where to make Amazon returns
Although shoppers will no longer be able to make Amazon returns at certain Kohl’s stores, the service is still available at these locations:
- Whole Foods Market
- Amazon Fresh
- Amazon Go
- Amazon Lockers
- Staples
- The UPS Store
Customers who made an Amazon return at Kohl’s were typically given a discount coupon for the store.
The company reported bringing in an additional two million shoppers due to its Amazon partnership during an earnings call in 2021.
However, the chain has not experienced the upsurge in customers that it had hoped for.
The company’s same-store sales have dropped for 12 quarters in a row, Kohl’s reported on March 11.
Meanwhile, Amazon’s sales have skyrocketed, surpassing Walmart’s quarterly revenue for the first time ever in February.
Kohl’s workers on the subreddit argued that accepting Amazon returns was just “money being wasted from an already troubled company.”
One employee estimated that it cost the retailer $1,260 per week in payroll at their Kohl’s store.
“There is no way Amazon is creating over $1,260 per week in sales,” they wrote.
As Kohl’s switches up its partnership with Amazon, the retailer has also promised to reverse a hated new policy after revealing it “frustrated and confused” shoppers.
Meanwhile, Kohl’s has confirmed that all 1,100 stores will be closing down for 24 hours in just weeks – and JCPenney won’t be any help.
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.