Kohl’s stores closing update: CEO reveals what happens next after dozens of locations shuttered last year

Last year, the CEO of the department store chain Kohl’s (NYSE: KSS) announced the closure of 27 locations in order to help shore up the company’s struggling finances. But in November, a new CEO took the helm, prompting many to wonder whether he would implement additional store closures. Now that CEO has made his plans clear. Here’s what you need to know. Kohl’s shut 27 stores in 2025 In January 2025, Kohl’s announced it was closing 27 underperforming locations in 15 states, as well as its San Bernardino E-commerce Fulfillment Center (EFC) in California. At the time, the company’s then CEO, Tom Kingsbury, said the closures were a “necessary” step “to support the health and future of our business for our customers and our teams.” The closures followed slumping comparable store sales in 2024, and by April 2025, all of the previously announced doomed locations had shut for good. But in November, Kohl’s got a new CEO, Michael Bender, the chain’s third chief executive in nearly three y