Kohl’s to reopen in 10 more states on Monday
Kohl’s Inc. is planning to reopen department stores in 10 states, mainly in the South and West, as the retailer seeks to restart sales with social distancing and other safety measures in place.
Kohl’s on Monday will open all stores in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Mississippi, Montana and Texas, as well as select stores in Florida and Tennessee, the retailer said.
Those will join stores that opened earlier this week in Arkansas, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Utah.
With the additional states, about 25% of the 1,158 Kohl’s stores will be open.
The reopened stores will use limited hours, social distancing measures, enhanced cleaning procedures and a new returns process, the Menomonee Fallsbased company said in a statement on Thursday.
Other measures will include wellness and temperature checks, safety training and the use of masks and gloves for employees. Kohl’s is deciding where and how to reopen stores by “assessing several factors, including the guidance of government officials, health data, store readiness, and consumer sentiment,” the statement said.
The company will use that approach to open additional Kohl’s stores in the coming weeks.
Hours for the newly-reopened stores will be from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Dedicated shopping hours for seniors and others at-risk of contracting the coronavirus will be 11 a.m. to noon on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Signs and floor decals have been placed throughout the stores to encourage 6 feet of social distancing, with a focus on customer service and checkout areas.
Each store will operate with a single entrance area. An employee at the front of the store will sanitize carts and limit occupancy as appropriate.
Aisle fixtures have been removed to increase space for customers to pass one another while following social distancing guidelines.
Kohl’s has installed protective barriers at all registers. Checkout lanes will be cleaned after each customer transaction.
Fitting rooms have been closed, and the use of beauty testers has been suspended.
Kohl’s has also made adjustments to the returns process to minimize contact between the customer and employee. Kohl’s also will accept Amazon returns in a separate location within the store.
Customers can continue to buy items online and park in designated spots at their local stores for employees to place their orders directly in their trunk or back seat.
“We are pleased to begin welcoming our customers back to Kohl’s,” said Michelle Gass, Kohl’s chief executive officer.
“As we all adjust to a new normal, we will continue to provide the easy and efficient store experience that Kohl’s customers love, while implementing many new rigorous procedures that prioritize the safety of our associates and customers,” Gass said in a statement.