Kohl's to Keep Store Count Steady in 2026

Kohl's Corporation, the Wisconsin-based department store chain, announced plans to maintain its current store footprint in 2026, with no major closures or expansions anticipated, according to CEO Michael Bender. The decision follows the closure of 27 underperforming locations across 15 states in 2025, as the retailer shifts focus to enhancing productivity at its remaining approximately 1,150 stores.

Bender, who assumed the role of full-time CEO in November 2025 after serving as interim leader, addressed the topic during a recent earnings call with investors. "I would not anticipate any sort of grand plan of saying we're taking stores out or adding stores at this point," he said. More than 90 percent of the company's stores are profitable, he added, emphasizing that leadership will review individual locations annually but prioritize optimization over further reductions. "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."

The 2025 closures, announced in January under then-CEO Tom Kingsbury, targeted sites with weak performance amid broader efforts to streamline...