March 10, 2026
Should Kohl’s Be Loudly Recommending its Own Brands?
Kohl’s is launching a “By Kohl’s” campaign highlighting the “Next Era” of its proprietary brands.
The effort marks a fairly rare marketing push by a retailer directly calling out their private labels or exclusive brands as many try to attempt to improve allocations in national brands.
Christie Raymond, chief marketing officer, in a Q&A posted on Kohls.com said that while Kohl’s has many fans of its owned brands, others underestimate their value.
“At its core, ‘By Kohl’s’ is about giving the proprietary brands we’ve created for our customers a stronger voice and greater visibility,” said Raymond. “We want shoppers to have confidence in choosing these brands, because they understand what they offer — style they love, quality they can trust, and value that fits their lives.”
The campaign will play out in broadcast spots featuring “Kohl’s Mom” — played by actress Ellie Kemper, known for her roles in “The Office” and “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” — along with celebrity guest appearances, as well as through social, digital, and in-store experiences.
“Our creative brings each brand’s personality to life under one connected platform,” said Raymond. “For example, the broadcast spot for FLX apparel shows how the brand moves seamlessly from work to the golf course, combining comfort, performance, and polish. Online, we’re reinforcing each brand’s distinct attributes, like reinforced knees on Jumping Beans kids’ pants or the thoughtful design of an LC Lauren Conrad dress. In-store, prominently placed By Kohl’s signage makes it easier for customers to recognize and navigate our owned brands throughout their shopping experience.”
Chief Merchandising Officer Nick Jones added, “By spotlighting our own brands alongside our national brand favorites, we are curating a purposeful mix that gives our customers exactly what they want.”
Kohl’s Has Sent Mixed Signals in the Past on Store Versus National Brand Assortment
Kohl’s private-label penetration had declined to 31% of Kohl’s mix in 2024, down from as high as 36% in 2022, as the chain had been introducing more national brands to draw new customers. Over the last year, Kohl’s has shifted back to prioritizing house brands to make opening price points more attractive to increasingly budget-conscious customers.
“As our customers continue to be more choiceful and remain under pressure, we have the opportunity to meet their needs and offer more value with elevating our proprietary brands,” said Michael Bender, CEO, on the company’s third-quarter analyst call.
In the third quarter, proprietary brands delivered its first positive sales performance for Kohl’s in several quarters — led by brands like SO in juniors, LC Lauren Conrad and Simply Vera Vera Wang in women’s, and Tek Gear and FLX in men’s. The private brand strength also helped support improved gross margins.
Bender said Kohl’s has no target for the ideal mix of private to national brands. He said, “We’re committed to moving where our customer is leading us.” Target, Walgreens, and Save A Lot are among retailers that have run campaigns in the past highlighting private brands.
BrainTrust
Tom Ryan
Managing Editor, RetailWire
Recent Discussions
Discussion Questions
Is now the right time for Kohl’s and other retailers to launch major store brand ad campaigns?
Should national brands be irked by private-label campaigns?
Poll
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Kohl’s should certainly be leaning into own brands because they provide a point of differentiation from competitors, are generally better margin, and can be optimized to cater for a ‘good, better, best’ pricing structure. However, for all the enthusiasm of this campaign, the blunt truth is that Kohl’s executes poorly. A lot of Kohl’s brands lack personality, and it is not clear who they’re aimed at. In-store they are displayed badly so become part of a hard-to-shop sea of merchandise. And there are far too many options and choices which creates clutter and confusion. So yes, Kohl’s can make a noise around its brands, but conversion will be limited by the shortcomings.
If they don’t talk about them, who will? Private label, when done well, can be a differentiator so they should tout the features and benefits proudly. If it’s not well done, then that’s a different problem.
Retailers should always highlight the products and services that make them unique and distinctive in their target customers’ eyes, and private brands are often at the center of that differentiation. For Kohl’s, leaning into store brands through advertising makes strategic sense if the goal is to reinforce value, style, and exclusivity that shoppers cannot find elsewhere. Private labels also tend to offer retailers greater margin control and merchandising flexibility, which can be important in a competitive environment where price perception and differentiation matter. In that context, promoting store brands is not just about pushing product—it’s about reminding shoppers why the retailer itself is worth choosing.
National brands rarely welcome aggressive private-label promotion in categories where they compete directly. However, most large brands also understand that their success is tied to the health of the retail partners who sell their products. If Kohl’s can strengthen traffic and customer engagement through compelling private-brand storytelling, that ultimately benefits the national brands that share the floor. Retail is an ecosystem, and a struggling retailer is rarely good news for its suppliers.
So while there may be some natural tension, I suspect most relevant national brands are rooting for Kohl’s to succeed. The key is balance. Retailers should absolutely promote their own brands when they represent a point of differentiation, but they must also maintain productive partnerships with national brands that continue to drive recognition, traffic, and credibility across many categories. When that balance is struck, both sides tend to benefit.
I’ll never understand the latest Kohl’s ad campaign. Ever.
Making an investment in private label must include explaining it to customers. Either it’s somehow better, less expensive or both at a good value. Private label also must sync with the broader brand promise. Without a campaign to promote it, customers will guess, creating their own assumptions.
Anyone can carry the same national labels, but proprietary brands are often one of the few things that are truly unique to a retailer. If Kohl’s is confident in the quality, design, and value behind those products, it makes sense to give them a stronger voice.
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Kohl’s should certainly be leaning into own brands because they provide a point of differentiation from competitors, are generally better margin, and can be optimized to cater for a ‘good, better, best’ pricing structure. However, for all the enthusiasm of this campaign, the blunt truth is that Kohl’s executes poorly. A lot of Kohl’s brands lack personality, and it is not clear who they’re aimed at. In-store they are displayed badly so become part of a hard-to-shop sea of merchandise. And there are far too many options and choices which creates clutter and confusion. So yes, Kohl’s can make a noise around its brands, but conversion will be limited by the shortcomings.
If they don’t talk about them, who will? Private label, when done well, can be a differentiator so they should tout the features and benefits proudly. If it’s not well done, then that’s a different problem.
Retailers should always highlight the products and services that make them unique and distinctive in their target customers’ eyes, and private brands are often at the center of that differentiation. For Kohl’s, leaning into store brands through advertising makes strategic sense if the goal is to reinforce value, style, and exclusivity that shoppers cannot find elsewhere. Private labels also tend to offer retailers greater margin control and merchandising flexibility, which can be important in a competitive environment where price perception and differentiation matter. In that context, promoting store brands is not just about pushing product—it’s about reminding shoppers why the retailer itself is worth choosing.
National brands rarely welcome aggressive private-label promotion in categories where they compete directly. However, most large brands also understand that their success is tied to the health of the retail partners who sell their products. If Kohl’s can strengthen traffic and customer engagement through compelling private-brand storytelling, that ultimately benefits the national brands that share the floor. Retail is an ecosystem, and a struggling retailer is rarely good news for its suppliers.
So while there may be some natural tension, I suspect most relevant national brands are rooting for Kohl’s to succeed. The key is balance. Retailers should absolutely promote their own brands when they represent a point of differentiation, but they must also maintain productive partnerships with national brands that continue to drive recognition, traffic, and credibility across many categories. When that balance is struck, both sides tend to benefit.
I’ll never understand the latest Kohl’s ad campaign. Ever.
Making an investment in private label must include explaining it to customers. Either it’s somehow better, less expensive or both at a good value. Private label also must sync with the broader brand promise. Without a campaign to promote it, customers will guess, creating their own assumptions.
Anyone can carry the same national labels, but proprietary brands are often one of the few things that are truly unique to a retailer. If Kohl’s is confident in the quality, design, and value behind those products, it makes sense to give them a stronger voice.