RWRetailWire
Back to Discussions
DISCUSSION

Will Kohl's Outpace Rivals With Its Ultra-Marathon Shopping Event?

Written by Tom Ryan

Raising the bar for others, Kohl's last week announced plans to stay open for 108 straight hours in the days before Christmas Eve.

All of its 1,158 stores will stay open the equivalent of 4-1/2 days starting at 6 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 20 and running through 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve.

"The holiday season is an eventful time for families, and Kohl's is making it easy for shoppers to wrap up their last-minute gift giving with 24-hour access to Kohl's stores right up to Christmas Eve," said Michelle Gass, Kohl's chief customer officer. "Not only does Kohl's have the hottest gifts at incredible prices, now shoppers will have the added benefit of being able to check off their lists, day or night, whenever it is most convenient for them."

Last year, Toys "R" Us opened its doors for 88 consecutive hours prior to closing at 10 p.m. on Christmas Eve. The company hasn't announced hours for the current year. Its flagship store in Times Square was open 543 consecutive hours. This year, the Times Square store reportedly will stay open 566 straight hours.

At Macy's, most of its doors in 2012 were open continuously for 48 hours leading up to Christmas Eve. Fifty seven locations were open 72 hours and 34 stayed open 81 hours. The chain hasn't announced its holiday hours for 2013.

Outside of chains such as Walmart that feature 24-hour shopping all year, only
Macy's and Toys "R" Us employed all-day, all-night holiday shopping among major chains last year.

Many stores stoked controversy by opening on the evening hours of Thanksgiving day for the first time in 2013, including Target, Best Buy, Toys "R" Us, Macy's, J.C. Penney and Kohl's.

Discussion Thread0