Retail / news
Kohl's Pushes Clearer Discount Labels, Gift Bundles and Delivery Apps for Holiday Shoppers
Kohl's is sharpening its value message for the holidays with plainly marked percentage-off pricing, fixed $5 to $20 price tiers and buy-now, pay-later through Klarna. The retailer is also adding bundled gift sets and delivery through DoorDash, Instacart and Uber Eats.
The department store chain is flagging merchandise in stores and online with explicit "X percent off" labeling, a change aimed at shoppers who compare value quickly, alongside price tiers set at $5, $10, $15 and $20 that cut across product categories.
Payment flexibility is part of the same pitch. Kohl's is offering buy-now, pay-later options through Klarna both online and in stores, letting customers spread the cost of purchases during the peak gifting period.
On the convenience side, the retailer is expanding its assortment of pre-assembled gift sets and leaning on third-party delivery partnerships with DoorDash, Instacart and Uber Eats to get orders to customers' doors.
Arianne Parisi, Kohl's chief customer officer, told reporters on Oct. 21 that the company has "a responsibility to cut through with value," adding that Kohl's is weighing how financially stretched consumers are at this moment.
The affordability push comes as households absorb inflation, higher energy costs and tariff-driven price increases. A recent National Retail Federation survey found 56% of holiday shoppers say the state of the economy will shape their spending plans this year, and Kohl's own customer data shows shoppers are already hunting for deals.