Kohl's Confirms No Mass Store Closures in 2026 Despite Declining Sales?

Liputan6.com, Jakarta - Kohl's, one of the leading department stores in the United States, has announced that it has no plans to close additional stores extensively in 2026 amidst recent financial reports showing declining sales performance.

The company's current focus is on optimizing and improving existing stores, rather than adding or reducing the number of locations.

This strategic decision was announced directly by Kohl's CEO, Michael J. Bender, who emphasized the importance of operational stability.

Following a year-long restructuring period, Kohl's is working to strengthen its business foundations.

Despite sales challenges, Kohl's remains committed to maintaining the majority of its network.

The company wants to ensure that each store operates efficiently and productively.

Kohl's CEO, Michael J. Bender, firmly stated that the company does not anticipate any major plans to close or add stores at this time.

“I would not anticipate any sort of grand plan of saying we’re taking stores out or adding stores at this point,” CEO Michael Bender said this month.

“The focus for us is actually on optimizing what we already have and we’ll be focused on making sure that we continue to push the stores' productivity going forward,” Bender said.

Bender explained that more than 90% of the approximately 1,150 Kohl's stores currently operating remain profitable.

Kohl's is therefore striving to maximize the potential of locations that have proven to be profitable.

Previously, in January 2025, Kohl's announced plans to close 27 underperforming locations across 15 states.

The closures are scheduled to be completed by April 2025.

Kohl's most recent earnings report, released on March 10, 2026, showed a significant decline in performance, as reported by Newsweek.

The company's net sales for the fourth quarter decreased by 3.9 percent.

Meanwhile, comparable sales also decreased by 2.8 percent.

For the entire fiscal year, Kohl's recorded a 4.0 percent decline in net sales.

Comparable sales were also negatively impacted, with a 3.1 percent decline.

Despite facing declining sales figures, Kohl's decision not to close any additional stores in 2026.

While there are no plans for additional widespread store closures, one Kohl's location in Cascade Crossing, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, permanently closed on March 14, 2026.

This closure came after a period of significant sales.

Local store managers announced the closures via social media in late January.

This closure is an isolated incident and does not reflect Kohl's planned mass closures for 2026.

The Sault Ste. Marie store closure is an example of Kohl's ongoing individual store performance evaluation.