Menomonee Falls-based Kohl’s Corp. has announced it will open its department stores at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day to kick off its holiday shopping season.
The company, which will remain open until midnight on Black Friday, said it is making the move to give customers more time than ever to shop for holiday gifts.
Kohl’s competitor Macy’s earlier this month also said it will open at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving. Last year, both stores opened at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.
Kohl’s is in the process of hiring 67,000 employees nationwide for its holiday season, more than the 50,000 it added last year for the November-December stretch.
“Kohl’s will be the most compelling shopping destination for the entire family this holiday season with our strong portfolio of sought-after national and private brands, our extensive online assortment and a deep list of exciting products that are new to Kohl’s this year,” said Kevin Mansell, Kohl’s chairman, chief executive officer and president. “We are well positioned to deliver on our vision to be the most engaging retailer in America with our pioneering Yes2You Rewards program, the re-launch of our improved Kohl’s App that will enhance the customer’s mobile experience, faster ways to deliver online orders and, of course, our amazing store associates who are empowered to say ‘Yes’ and deliver the outstanding customer service we are known for.”
The National Retail Federation recently announced it expects sales in November and December (excluding autos, gas and restaurant sales) to increase a healthy 4.1 percent to $616.9 billion, higher than 2013’s actual 3.1 percent increase during that same time frame. This would mark the first time since 2011 that holiday sales would increase more than 4 percent.
