Kohl's opens two stores in Hampton Roads  including one in Virginia Beach's Pembroke Mall.

Kohl’s Brings Family Values to Virginia

VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA -- Kohl’s describes its 542 locations nationwide as clean, contemporary, bright department stores with wide aisles and a commitment to family, value and national brands.  Kohl’s is stocked with apparel, shoes and accessories for women, children, men and home products like electrical appliances, bedding, bath and luggage. 

Kohl’s has begun its entry into Southeastern Virginia by opening two stores in the Hampton Roads market.   The first to open is in Pembroke Mall, in the Central Business District of Virginia Beach.  The 89,213-square-foot former Uptons store has been rebuilt and expanded into a new Kohl’s store on the eastern-most arm of this regional mall.   Pembroke Mall is located directly across the street from the new Town Center of Virginia Beach.   The mall is also anchored by Sears and Stein Mart.

The second Kohl’s in Southeastern Virginia is in the Wal-Mart anchored shopping center on Battlefield Boulevard at Interstate 64 in Chesapeake.  The 88,248-square-foot Kohl’s store joins Garden Ridge and Sam’s Club in the shopping center.  Divaris Real Estate, Inc. handled the lease negotiations for both of the Hampton Roads Kohl’s stores.

Divaris Real Estate is working with Kohls’ in executing its expansion strategy into the major markets of Southeastern, Central and Western Virginia.  Gerald Divaris, chairman and CEO, is heading up the team on the Kohl’s account, which includes Mary McGovern of DRE’s Virginia Beach headquarters and Brett Womack and Debbie Wake of the company’s Richmond office.

Kohl’s was founded by the Kohl family in 1962 with one department store in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.   In 1978, the company became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the BATUS Retail Group, part of British-American Tobacco Company and 39 stores were opened in Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana.  Eventually, Kohl’s was purchased in 1986 by a group of senior management investors.   In the early 90s, the company went public and continued its rapid expansion with an average of 20 new stores each year.  The growth has taken Kohl’s to 32 states and to Standard & Poors Fortune 500. 

Headquartered in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, Kohl's employs 1,500 people.   The total number of associates on Kohl’s payroll exceeds 61,000.   Eight distribution centers support the stores from Wisconsin, Virginia, Ohio, Missouri, Texas, New York and California. 

Kohl’s currently operates 542 stores and plans to open an additional 95 new stores in 2004, split between new market entries and fill-ins in existing markets.  The average Kohl’s store is 86,500 square feet in size and is conveniently located in suburban areas with easy access and ample parking. 

In each department, Kohl’s offers premier national brands at locally competitive prices, including: Dockers, Levi’s, Carter’s, Jockey, Reebok, Adidas, Hanes, Pfaltzgraff, Kitchen Aid, etc.  The company also sells private label brands like Genuine Sonoma Jean Company, Bodysource, and Croft & Barrow.   Juniors can choose from casually cool to funky fun.  Women have a choice of departments: casuals, dresses, careerwear, petites, plus sizes, maternity, athletic and intimate apparel.  Other departments include infant’s and toddler’s, young men’s, boy’s, stationery, bedding, bath, housewares, luggage, accessories, jewelry, bath and body, and dress, casual and athletic shoes.   Dorm rooms can be outfitted with funky and functional lamps, comfy chairs and off the hook pictures and frames.  An electronic gift registry helps shoppers choose the perfect shower gifts, either from the kiosk in the store, or from home on Kohl’s web site.

Dedicated to a hassle-free shopping, Kohl’s guarantees that the shopper will enjoy the experience.  Besides front door parking, centralized checkouts also make shopping quick and easy.  The staff is trained to be knowledgeable in all departments and offer special services like Kohl’s charge card, gift cards, corporate gift cards and hassle-free return and exchanges.  Online purchases can be returned and exchanged at any store or by mail.  Kohl’s Cares for Kids Fundraising Cards benefit schools and nonprofit youth organizations with an electronic card that can be purchased at a discount and sold at face value to earn profits.