Kohl’s will close 27 underperforming stores across 15 U.S. states by April 2025, one of the biggest retail contraction efforts in the company’s 63-year history. The closures, first revealed in January as part of a larger restructuring effort, are a sign of continued struggles for physical retailers in the face of changing consumer habits and economic hardship.
Scope of the 2025 closures
The 27 closings account for roughly 2.3% of Kohl’s 1,150-store chain, spanning from Virginia to California. Although initial estimates had the closings completed by April, 24 stores closed permanently on March 29, and three additional stores (Mountain View, CA; Stoughton, MA; and Herndon, VA) closed earlier in 2025. The move comes on the heels of a 7.2% Q4 2024 sales decline and a 65.6% profit year-over-year decrease, further adding to pressures from decreased traffic and heightened web-driven competition.
Kohl’s also will shut its San Bernardino, California, e-commerce fulfillment center in May 2025, 15 years after it opened. The work at the center will be redirected to newer, technology-driven centers, streamlining the company’s supply chain.
Financial and operational pressures
CEO Tom Kingsbury credited the store closures as being necessary for “tough but necessary actions” to support the company. “We always consider those decisions very, very seriously,” he said, citing the necessity of maintaining long-term growth. The retailer’s woes reflect industry trends: Coresight Research forecasts 15,000 U.S. store closures in 2025, more than double 2024’s 7,325 closings, fueled by inflation and e-commerce dominance.
Kohl’s shares declined 40% over the past six months as investors lose faith in its attempts to recover. Insult to injury is that the chain discontinued its program for in-store Amazon returns in struggling stores—initiated in 2019 to draw customer traffic.
Employee transition and customer impact
Approximately 10% of Kohl’s workforce at closing stores will face layoffs, though impacted employees have been offered severance packages or opportunities to transfer to other locations. “Our associates have been instrumental to Kohl’s legacy, and we’re committed to supporting them through this transition,” Kingsbury noted.
For shoppers, the closures eliminate in-store access to Kohl’s sales and special collaborations, such as its 2024 maternity collection with actress Lea Michele. Shoppers are referred to nearby stores or Kohls.com, where sales and clearance items remain in stock.
Full list of closing Kohl’s stores
Alabama
- Spanish Fort: 21000 Town Center Ave.
Arkansas
- Little Rock West: 13909 Chenal Parkway
California
- Balboa (San Diego): 5505 Balboa Ave.
- Encinitas: 134 N El Camino Real
- Fremont: 43782 Christy St.
- Mountain View: 350 Showers Dr. (earlier closing)
- Napa: 1116 1st St.
- Pleasanton: 4525 Rosewood Dr.
- Point West (Sacramento): 1896 Arden Way
- San Rafael: 5010 Northgate Dr.
- San Luis Obispo: 205 Madonna Rd.
- Westchester: 8739 S Sepulveda Blvd.
Colorado
- Arapahoe Crossing (Aurora): 6584 S Parker Rd.
Georgia
- Duluth: 2050 W Liddell Rd.
Idaho
- Boise: 400 N Milwaukee St.
Illinois
- Plainfield: 11860 S Route 59
- Spring Hill (West Dundee): 3000 Spring Hill Ring Rd.
Massachusetts
- Stoughton: 501 Technology Center Dr. (earlier closing)
New Jersey
- East Windsor: 72 Princeton Hightstown Rd.
Ohio
- Blue Ash: 4150 Hunt Rd.
- Forest Park (Cincinnati): 100 Cincinnati Mills Dr.
Oregon
- Portland Gateway: 10010 NE Halsey St.
Pennsylvania
- Pottstown: 351 W Schuylkill Rd.
Texas
- North Dallas: 18224 Preston Rd.
Utah
- Riverton: 13319 S 3600 W
Virginia
- Herndon: 2100 Centreville Rd. (formerly closed)
- Williamsburg: 100 Gristmill Plaza
Broader retail industry implications
Kohl’s follows Macy’s, Rite Aid, and Dollar General in pulling back from physical stores, a reckoning for mid-tier department chains. Retailers unable to differentiate through unique brands or persistent omnichannel experience are at risk of further erosion, analysts say. For Kohl’s, executive shake-ups are uncertain: CEO Tom Kingsbury departs in May, replaced by Michaels’ Ashley Buchanan, tasked with steadying the company while re-firing customer excitement.
As liquidation store closures wrap up this week, the closings are a pivot point for Kohl’s—and a warning to retailers swimming in the post-pandemic currents of recession.
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