Kohl's kicks off month-long Black Friday sales

Dive Brief:

Kohl's announced on Friday it's offering consumers Black Friday deals earlier this year and stressed its in-store safety precautions and fulfillment options.
The retailer launched its extended holiday shopping deals on Friday with multiple in-store and online shopping events planned through the end of November. Black Friday week deals begin online and in stores on Nov. 22 and run through Nov. 27, with "Super Deals" beginning on Thanksgiving.
The company is also offering consumers contactless drive up, BOPIS and Amazon Returns options at its stores, in addition to in-store safety protocols like mask requirements, social distancing measures and occupancy limits.

Dive Insight:

Kohl's wanted to make the shopping experience for customers simpler and safer as well as offer them more savings during this year's holiday season, Kohl's Chief Marketing Officer Greg Revelle said in a statement. The company is also giving additional discounts to consumers through its Kohl's card and customer loyalty program, per the press release. The retailer joins a growing list of stores starting their Black Friday sales before Thanksgiving, including Amazon, Dollar General and Old Navy.

Kohl's is offering 5% in Kohl's Cash for every purchase when customers join the Kohl's rewards program, which the company updated back in September and tested out in 13 markets before introducing it across the country.

The pandemic has been difficult for apparel retailers overall, and Kohl's has faced its share of ups and downs. In early March, just before the coronavirus forced nonessential businesses to close, the retailer said that it had seen an increase in foot traffic thanks to its Amazon partnership, but that hadn't resulted in a sales bump. In August, though, the company reported a nearly 60% digital sales spike, and its swift implementation of omnichannel updates could help bridge the gap between online and in-store sales.

Kohl's is also trying its hand at a private label activewear line. Last month, the company introduced an expanded collection of casual clothing through a new athleisure private label brand called FLX. The timing for entering athleisure could be beneficial given that consumers might purchase more comfortable clothing this holiday season, research from the NPD Group suggests.