Changes to Kohl’s Rewards program
As of July 22, 2019, Kohl’s is changing its Kohl’s Rewards program (currently only in the 8 pilot markets listed below) – basically, it’s reverting back to the Yes2You Program, but with a different name:
Kohl’s Rewards members who use a Kohl’s Charge will receive 5% Kohl’s Rewards every day on purchases instead of the 10% they currently offer.
Kohl’s Rewards Elite Members will be called Kohl’s Most Valued Customers (MVCs).
Free shipping every day is ending. There will be free shipping events each month when a Kohl’s charge is used.
Rewards are still earned in $5 increments and will be issued on the first day of the month, instead of whenever the Rewards balance reaches $5 or more. They are good for 30 days.
Kohl's Rewards Terms & Conditions | Kohl's
Note: These changes only affect the following 8 pilot markets:
Austin, Texas
Buffalo, New York
Indianapolis, Indiana
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Phoenix, Arizona
Raleigh, North Carolina
Rochester, New York
San Antonio, Texas
In March, CEO Michelle Gass told investors, “We’ve learned that customers love the simplicity of the [Kohl’s Rewards] program and the rewards. However, we also learned that we do not need to be as generous with customer rewards. Therefore, we will modify the program to optimize the rewards offerings to create the greatest impact.”
[Translated: Kohl’s loyalty program was popular enough when it was only giving out 5% rewards, so, why give away more than necessary by offering loyal customers 10%? ]
Some adjustments will involve lowering everyday prices, having more sales, and offering better deals to loyal shoppers. “We are being more competitive in pricing and promotion to maintain our relevance with our customers,” Gass said.
“We know our customers are driven by value,” Chief Financial Officer Bruce Besanko added. “And so we’re going to make the necessary changes to pricing and promotion and drive that, and we’re not going to lose out as a consequence of pricing to competitors.”
Details so far are scarce as to how big the discounts are likely to be, and where in the store the best deals will be found; however, Gass hinted that “the Home category is kind of top of the pack” on the retailer’s list of pricing and promotional priorities, while Besanko said, “there’s some permanent markdowns we’re going to take in beauty”.
