Shoshy Ciment/Business Insider
The exterior of a Manhattan Target, which includes a grocery store, a pharmacy, and a large beauty section.
- Kohl's and Target sell some similar products. But the bullseye chain has recently been faring better overall in terms of sales and traffic.
- Kohl's recently reported in its second-quarter earnings that sales dropped 2.9% in stores open for more than a year, though Kohl's CEO Michelle Gass said the company's partnership with Amazon has increased foot traffic in its stores.
- Target beat expectations in the second quarter and reported a 3.4% growth in comparable sales due to a 2.4% growth in traffic.
- We visited both stores. Even though both were messy, Target's trendier clothes and grocery options made it clear why Kohl's is trailing behind.
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Target is taking over.
The company reported glowing results for Q2, including a 3.4% growth in comparable sales from a 2.4% traffic increase. From groceries to home goods to clothes, Target has become a go-to destination for a wide range of consumers.
Meanwhile, Kohl's is trailing behind. Sales dropped 2.9% in Kohl's stores open for more than a year, the company recently reported in its second-quarter earnings. The retailer announced a partnership with Amazon in 2017 to accept returns for the e-commerce giant in its stores, a move which boosted traffic nearly 24% in the three weeks after the partnership began, data from inMarket revealed.
With 1,855 stores in the US, Target has a larger presence than the 1,100 Kohl's stores across the country. But a trip to both stores revealed that the superstore's advantage doesn't stop there.
While both stores were punctuated by messiness, Target's trendier clothing options and grocery section made it clear why Kohl's cannot compete with the superstore's dominance.
Here's what we saw: