If shoppers at Kohl’s [1] department store in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, can’t find what they want in terms of size or colour, they don’t go away disappointed: All they do is click on the in-store kiosk, order what they want, and have it shipped to their home for free.
[2]Prototype NCR Kiosk
It’s a new initiative for Kohl’s, aimed at increasing sales in whichever way the customer wants or needs: in store, via the kiosk, or online.
Kohl’s is seeing big gains in its e-commerce business. In Q1, 2010, Kohl’s online sales jumped by 50%. With the kiosk, and with its online business, the company is finding that it can provide a wider range of choices, without the need to take up space in its stores.
As of Jan. 30, 2010, Kohl’s operated 1,058 in 49 states. Net sales in 2009 were $17,178 million. Internet sales by Kohl’s, which plans to have kiosks in all stores by this fall, were 3% of its total. The company is currently upgrading its website to handle 10 times more traffic than it could last fall, and is opening a distribution center in San Bernadino, Calif., in June to serve its e-commerce business.