Kohl’s
Founded in 1927, Kohl’s has been around for nearly a century, selling modern suburban home goods and clothing at discounted, mid-range prices. Despite being around for so long, the brand has been forgotten, and the business struggles to survive. This deck outlines a rebrand strategy to help the brand stand out and establish itself among other major fashion-and-home-goods retailers like TJ-Maxx, Marshalls, and Target.
the Problem
The Strategic Problem:
Kohl's brand strategy relies heavily on high-friction promotional mechanics—Kohl's Cash, mystery savings codes, and bloated MSRPs meant to make sale prices look deep. Modern consumers find this pricing game transparent and exhausting.
While Sephora shops-in-shop bring in foot traffic, Kohl's hasn't established an independent identity beyond being a physical drop-off point for Amazon returns or a place to use coupons.
The brand's core customer base is aging out, and its messaging fails to resonate with Gen Z and millennial shoppers who favor curated value, sustainability, or distinctive aesthetic identities.
The Identity Problem:
Visual System: The plain red wordmark logo and utilitarian typographic system look dated, generic, and uninspired across digital touchpoints and mobile apps. Additionally, with a text-based logo standing by itself without a slogan, Kohl’s branding and positioning are not established.
In-Store Experience: The retail environment often feels cluttered, transactional, and overly commoditized, lacking the discovery-driven "treasure hunt" vibe of TJ Maxx or the polished curation of Target.
Original Logo:
the Solution
The Strategic Solution:
Kohl’s now has a distinct visual identity centered on quality clothing and home goods. While customers can still save through Kohl’s Cash, the system has been reframed as a value-added loyalty program rather than a desperate strategy for survival. Core traffic drivers like Sephora and Amazon returns remain intact, but this upgraded identity puts Kohl’s core brand back at the forefront.
The Identity Solution:
Visual System: Leaning into Kohl’s success in selling modern suburban items at a mid-level price range, I gave the brand a brand-positioning slogan and redesigned the logo to be a more fashion-forward and mysterious brand.
In-Store Experience: Now that the logo has changed to a black-and-beige aesthetic, the brand feels a little more mysterious, which suits the “treasure hunting” vibe that TJ-Maxx has and the polished curation that Target has.
New Logo:
New Kohl’s Cash Symbol: