How to Get Your Products Into a Kohl’s Supplier

Kohl’s is an established department store with strong brand recognition and a loyal customer base, but getting your products into their stores and online can be challenging.

Kohl’s used 3D workflows of Browzwear to upskill their apparel Tech design, art and vendor teams with 3D workflows in order to overcome this challenge and gain buy-in for its project: understanding, simplifying and partnering.

Become a Kohl’s supplier

Kohl’s is an American department store retail network operating more than 1,100 stores in 49 states across the U.S. The store sells apparel, shoes, accessories for women, children and men as well as jewelry, beauty products, housewares and other merchandise; additionally it provides online shopping and store credit cards – it has been operating since 1946 and now ranks second largest department store chain.

Kohls takes great pride in providing excellent customer service, with employees trained to assist customers find items tailored specifically to their needs. In addition, the company is dedicated to creating an eco-friendly workplace; therefore several improvements have been implemented within their workplace environment to reduce its carbon emissions – such as using recycled materials, implementing energy efficiency programs, and recycling paper waste.

Kohl’s suppliers must comply with their sourcing policy in order to be approved as suppliers. Depending on the product being supplied, you may be required to show proof of manufacturer and importer compliance; additionally legally binding agreements may need to be signed containing terms related to payment, quality assurance and shipping information.

Step one in becoming a Kohl’s supplier is to fill out their website form. If necessary, this form will create a Jagger Network account on your behalf so that you can communicate directly with their buying team and present yourself as a potential supplier for them. Their buying team will review submissions and notify potential partners if interested.

Kohl’s suppliers must have their Dsco Warehouse Manager configured and ready to submit inventory by warehouse location, including existing and new items. If warehouse codes are incorrectly set up, Kohl’s will reject their inventory update; that is why it is imperative that you configure Dsco Warehouse Manager correctly.

Beginning your career as a Kohl’s supplier can be simple but can take some time. An Electronic Data Interchange Format and Analysis Center Transfer Protocol (EDIFACT) integration should be set up so orders are processed quickly and accurately if selling online; Kohl’s requires all orders be mapped with their appropriate shipping method for processing purposes. SellerCloud can assist with setting up this EDI integration so you can start selling with them immediately!

Find a Kohl’s buyer

Kohl’s shares have declined by nearly one third over the last year and activist investors have been pressuring Kohl’s to make major changes. Although recently rejecting an attempt by Macellum Advisors to overhaul its board of directors, shareholders continue to put pressure on Kohl’s to find a buyer for its business.

Kohl’s has attracted numerous potential buyers, yet no clear winner has emerged to take ownership of its department store chain. According to its latest earnings report, which showed missed sales expectations and sent its stock down by more than 10% after-hours trading; these results came following a dismal holiday season and slow growth at mall traffic centers.

Private brands, which account for nearly half of its $19 billion annual sales, such as American Beauty, Apt. 9, Croft & Barrow Jumping Beans So and Tek Gear have experienced decreasing sales as well.

In its earnings report, the company cited external “macro headwinds” as one of the factors for missing sales estimates and revising down its outlook for fiscal 2022. Net sales now expected to experience a one to one percent growth year-on-year; adjusted earnings per share can range between $6.45 to $6.85 without nonrecurring charges taken into account.

As such, many Kohl’s investors are bracing themselves for the possibility of selling off the company. One of its largest shareholders, T. Rowe Price Associates, announced they would vote against Macellum Advisors’ attempt to gain control over Kohl’s board.

Posen believes the new owner of Kohl’s will maintain its location in Menomonee Falls and maintain its current management team, consisting of more than 4,000 employees. At a shareholder meeting scheduled for May 11th, Macellum threatened to nominate new board members but in recent years shareholders overwhelmingly favored reelecting the current members instead.

Reach Kohl’s buyers

Kohl’s has recently been approached by more than two dozen potential buyers, including financial sponsors, strategics and real-estate focused investors, according to its preliminary proxy statement. Goldman Sachs was retained to field unsolicited bids; additionally a call was put out for potential suitors featuring data room and management presentation presentations; additionally Kohl’s stated it may consider selling itself if its board determines it makes sense for shareholders.

Under pressure from activist investors and online-only retailers like JCPenney, the retailer is under increasing strain to find a suitable buyer and improve sales and shareholder returns. Unfortunately, its stock has experienced steep drops since last year due to decreased revenue due to slumping revenue and competition from online-only competitors like ShopStyle; its stock has even lost over 40% value!

Active investors had been pressuring Macellum Advisors, an activist fund, to make changes at the company, including new leadership and possible sale. But investors voted last week in favour of reinstating its current board, thus defusing Macellum Advisors’ campaign.

As many mall-focused department stores close stores, Kohl’s has become an invaluable platform for national brands looking to reach customers in smaller markets. It currently has about 1,100 locations in 49 states as well as an e-commerce website and consumer app – giving brands access to customers with whom they have previously struggled to connect.

Kohl’s eCommerce offers an assortment of apparel and home products for all your household needs, with easy navigation allowing customers to return products they are not satisfied with. Browse by category or search for specific items.

Kohl’s-approved suppliers can access their website using a login and password to view bid opportunities and submit responses, while taking advantage of tools available on the website to manage inventory and keep tabs on shipment statuses.

Suppliers developing an online catalog for Kohl’s should include their partner SKU in each product description – this number represents each Kohl’s product’s unique identifier; this differs from vendor SKU, which is simply their unique product identifier.

Create an EDI integration

Kohl’s company utilizes various shipping methods for its goods; UPS, USPS, FedEx and Deliv are most often utilized when sending packages directly from distribution centers to stores for retail sale. Shipping processes may differ depending upon merchandise type or expectations regarding delivery times.

Once a supplier is accepted as a Kohl’s supplier, the next step should be setting up an electronic data interchange (EDI) integration with them. EDI involves exchanging critical business documents such as purchase orders, invoices and advance shipment notices electronically with each party involved – helping companies manage inventory better and minimize shipping errors.

Setting up an EDI integration with Kohl’s is simple, but to ensure success you must comply with their guidelines. Each document should contain accurate data points as well as an SKU assigned to every item by Kohl’s that matches up with your warehouse code configuration in Dsco; otherwise it could result in the document being rejected by Kohl’s.

Kohl’s website provides an EDI guide, with an outline of required data points and any special considerations needed for specific products or orders. Furthermore, this document describes how to read EDI maps – blueprints that specify document formats – effectively.

Kohl’s offers multiple methods for setting up their EDI, such as VANs and web services, so you have multiple choices when setting up their EDI system. Most integrators will offer options between these two approaches, each having its own advantages and disadvantages; VANs typically provide higher support, but web services tend to be cheaper and simpler to use.

Start out on your EDI journey quickly by working with an EDI partner like DataTrans who can act as your own in-house EDI department and help you quickly become compatible with retailers like Kohl’s without incurring set up fees – they’re also great at meeting any other compliance needs you might need help meeting!