What: A new partnership aiming at expanding the presence of Tommy Hilfiger at Kohl’s in the US

Why it is important: This reflects both the necessity for department stores to address (quickly) the topic of their own branding (what is their community and purpose) which implied, in the case of Kohl’s, upgrading from the discounting positioning. At the same time, Kohl’s being usually away from malls, it also reflects the changes in nature of distribution and consumption patterns in the US, given the scale of the partnership with the brand owned by PVH Group.

Tommy Hilfiger has announced a new partnership with Kohl’s in the US, with the objective to make the men’s sportswear line available in more than 600 stores, as well as online. Since Kohl’s is primarily a discount department store, Tommy Hilfiger will be presented in dedicated spaces within Kohl’s, with the ambition to elevate the overall image of the chain. This is the latest brand entry at Kohl’s, after Cole Haan, Eddie Bauer, Land’s end and Sephora.

Kohl’s enjoys a strategic advantage when compared to other department stores, since they are usually located away from malls, and their discount-oriented positioning helped them going through the pandemic with limited damages. The move upwards in terms of positioning is the reflect of both the will to take advantage of their position, as well as the necessity to elevate the brand equity of the retailer, in order to move away from the discounting positioning while keeping its advantages.

This is an echo to both the Merchandising Meeting #2 dedicated to sports & lifestyle (21 April) and Cross Functional #3 on Department stores branding (4 June) that we organise with our members.

Kohl's Tommy Hilfiger partnership is another blow to Macy's, malls 

Coup for Kohl’s, Tommy on His Way