New Kohl's Chief Customer Officer Says Yes To Customers
By Hannah Ash, contributing writer
Amid Slipping Sales, Kohl’s Adopts Customer-Centric Chief
A 12 percent drop in earnings for the fourth quarter indicates there is room for growth at Kohl’s, and recently appointed Chief Customer Officer Michelle Gass says she sees where and how that growth should happen. In her new role as Chief Customer Officer, Gass replaced the former CMO at Kohl’s, indicating an ideological shift in the works for the large department store chain. During her most recent 16 year career with Starbucks, Gass introduced customer-centric initiatives meant to establish an ongoing conversation with the chain’s customers. Gass hopes Kohl’s customers will find themselves asking if they can find what they need at Kohl’s — and she hopes that with her initiatives — they will say “Yes.”
Gass is talented in finding out what a customer wants and how a store can get that for them. During her work with Starbucks, Gass elevated the frappucino from just another iced coffee option to a blockbuster hit. She is credited with the introduction of Starbucks’ loyalty programs and the launch of its successful social media platforms. As Chief Customer Officer at Kohl’s, Gass is revamping the retailer’s image as a place where shoppers go to get the things that support their lifestyles. As evidenced by recent TV spots, Kohl’s is a place where consumers can find everything from swim trunks for a diving competition to a training bicycle; Gass wants consumers to think of Kohl’s as their “Yes!” destination. Gass seems to have identified that Kohl’s targeted 35-54 year old shoppers want a department store that offers products that fit their unique lifestyles — from date nights to sporting competitions to backyard fun.
On Gass’s joining the Kohl’s team CEO Kevin Mansell comments, “She knows the Kohl's brand. She's a mom. She understands the store. She understands the brand. She understands the challenge. She's executed something similar to what we need to do here." To begin meeting customers on their terms, Kohl’s has started pushing out an aggressive social media strategy, partnered with popular shows such as The Voice and has expanded their product line to offer more lifestyle items, including televisions and expensive headphones. Just as Starbucks’ campaigns of yesteryear found a clear customer to whom it markets (the coffee shop, not the bar crowd), Gass’ “Find Your Yes” campaign at Kohl’s seems to indicate that the retailer has found a clear customer to which the retailer can make itself indispensable — the mom, dad, professional, athlete, and homeowner, and all-American with slightly upscale tastes.