Many Americans this year plan to reduce their spending on back-to-school items amid economic pressures, and Kohl\u2019s is adding new offerings to attract these price-conscious consumers.<\/p>\n
A recent survey from consulting firm Deloitte<\/a> found that Americans plan to spend $30.4 billion, or about $557 per student, on back-to-school items this year, which is 6% less than what they spent the year before.\u00a0<\/p>\n This decrease in spending comes as 57% said they expect the economy to deteriorate over the next six months, the highest level reported in Deloitte’s annual survey since 2020.\u00a0<\/p>\n “While many parents are willing to do all they can to help set their children up for success, financial concerns are leading them to sharpen their budgets,\u201d said Natalie Martini<\/a>, U.S. retail and consumer products sector leader at Deloitte, in a press release<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cCautious spending behavior exists across income groups, but value-seekers demonstrate that it’s not always about the cost \u2014 some consumers are willing to spend if they find value in the purchase,\u201d she continued.\u00a0<\/p>\n As Americans continue to cut back, Kohl\u2019s has decided to revamp its back-to-school offerings by pricing thousands of these products under $25, according to a new press release<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Kohl\u2019s back-to-school assortment this year will include brands such as Levi\u2019s and Nike, as well as its own brands FLX, Jumping Beans, Tek Gear, and SO<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Jumping Beans tops and bottoms will start at $6.99, while Tek Gear fleece starts at $19.99.<\/p>\n Kohl\u2019s also states that dorm essentials for college students will include brands such as Caro Home, Laura Ashley, The Big One, and the new Peanuts Joe Cool collection.<\/p>\n The retailer is offering kitchen electrics and portable vacuums for $20 and under. Its new Deal Bar<\/a> will also feature organization products, desk accessories, food storage, and room d\u00e9cor for $10 and under.<\/p>\n Related: Kohl\u2019s scrambles to restore customer loyalty after major loss<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n To further help cash-strapped customers afford essential goods during the back-to-school season, Kohl\u2019s is now accepting EBT Cash benefits in most stores nationwide.\u00a0<\/p>\n In addition to offering lower-priced items, Kohl\u2019s is adding new brands to its back-to-school lineup to attract customers. This includes licensed collections such as Minecraft, NFL<\/a>, Netflix\u2019s KPop Demon Hunters, and Pok\u00e9mon.\u00a0<\/p>\n Kohl\u2019s also added Brixton to its men\u2019s section, the SO Office Edit collection to juniors, and SO to jewelry and hair accessories.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cToday’s families are looking for more than just a back-to-school checklist \u2014 they want confidence that they’re making the right choices for their kids and their budgets,\u201d said Kohl\u2019s Chief Marketing Officer Christie Raymond in the press release<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBy focusing on the brands and styles kids are excited to wear and delivering the quality and value parents expect, we\u2019re making sure families can count on Kohl\u2019s for what they need most,\u201d she continued.\u00a0<\/p>\n Bloomberg / Getty Images<\/a><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n The move from Kohl\u2019s comes after Target and Walmart launched a slate of back-to-school deals<\/a> last month. Target even made sure that more than 50% of its back-to-school assortment was new<\/a> this year.<\/p>\n The update from Kohl\u2019s also comes as customers reduce their discretionary spending and the retailer struggles to boost sales in its stores<\/a>.<\/p>\n In its first-quarter earnings report for 2026<\/a>, Kohl\u2019s revealed that its comparable sales dipped by roughly 1% year over year, while its operating income<\/a> dropped by about 23%.\u00a0<\/p>\n Foot traffic at Kohl\u2019s stores has also been weak, with a recent Placer.ai report<\/a> finding that overall customer visits to the retailer\u2019s locations decreased by 4.6% year over year during the quarter.\u00a0<\/p>\n More Retail:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cWe are not satisfied with where we are,\u201d said Kohl\u2019s CEO Michael Bender during an earnings call<\/a> in May. \u201cWe need to continue to show up for our customers every day as they continue to put an importance on value and remain under financial pressure.\u201d<\/p>\n To win back customers, Bender said the company will double down on offering a \u201cmore curated, balanced assortment\u201d and will focus on reestablishing itself as a \u201cleader in value and quality.\u201d<\/p>\n Kohl\u2019s will also work harder to ensure merchandise is consistently in stock in stores and online, and will leverage artificial intelligence to \u201cmodernize and enhance\u201d the customer shopping experience.\u00a0<\/p>\n In a CNBC report in June<\/a>, Blake Anderson<\/a>, an analyst at Jefferies, said Kohl\u2019s sales are struggling to grow due to increased competition from off-price brands.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThere always is this concern that can department stores actually grow for any meaningful period of time? There\u2019s lots of competition in terms of off-price specialty brands going direct-to-consumer,\u201d said Anderson.<\/p>\n \u201cThe space has really evolved over time, and I think the way that Kohl\u2019s has competed has been significantly tied to value, and so winning that customer based on value is becoming very difficult,\u201d he added.<\/p>\nKohl\u2019s prices thousands of back-to-school items under $25<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Kohl\u2019s battles low sales as it struggles to attract customers\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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