Data released by Retail Metrics (Swampscott, Mass.) shows the best-performing retailer of the holiday season was Kohl’s Corp. (Menomonee Falls, Wis.). The department store chain’s sales in its fourth quarter beat expectations, rising 3.7 percent over the same period for 2014. According to MarketWatch, the uptick marked the retailer’s first comparable stores sales increase in six quarters and its “strongest pickup in four years.”
Kohl’s outperformed competing department stores in the 2014 holiday season including Macy’s Inc. (Cincinnati), which reported a same-store sales growth of for the fourth quarter, 2 percent over the previous year. Analysts have projected a 3.5 percent comp sales increase for JCPenney stores (Ft. Worth, Texas) and a drop of 3 percent for Sears Holdings Corp. (Hoffman Estates, Ill.).
Observers say several initiatives led to Kohl’s upswing. These include a loyalty program, launched last fall, which has increased store visits. Kohl’s has also added popular national names, including Izod and Puma, to its brand mix. Revamped, expanded beauty departments and the addition of trendy product lines, including Lorac, have also driven sales in recent months.