It is weird walking into a Kohl's these days. You go in for a pair of Levi’s or a toaster, and you’re met with a massive Sephora counter right in the middle of the store and a line of people returning Amazon packages. For a long time, this strategy—turning a department store into a weird retail Swiss Army knife—seemed to be working. But lately, the headlines haven't been great. If you have been looking for a Kohl's stores closing list, you’ve probably noticed that the vibe has shifted from "expansion" to "survival mode."
Honestly, retail is just brutal right now.
In early 2025, Kohl’s made a move that rattled a lot of regular shoppers. They announced they were shutting down 27 "underperforming" locations. Now, 27 stores out of a fleet of over 1,100 doesn't sound like a death knell, but it was the first time in a while that the company admitted some of its real estate just wasn't cutting it. As we move through 2026, the big question isn't just which stores are gone, but whether your local spot is next on the chopping block.
The 2025 Kohl's Stores Closing List: A Quick Recap
Before we get into the 2026 outlook, we have to look at who already got the axe. This wasn't just random; it was a targeted strike on stores that were bleeding cash. California took the biggest hit, which makes sense given the high cost of doing business there.
Here is the breakdown of the major locations that closed their doors by April 2025:
- California: This state lost 10 stores. We’re talking about spots like the Balboa store in San Diego, Encinitas, Fremont, Mountain View, and Napa. Basically, if you were a shopper in the Bay Area or SoCal, your commute to a Kohl's probably got a lot longer.
- The Midwest & East Coast: Illinois lost the Plainfield and Spring Hill locations. Ohio said goodbye to Blue Ash and Forest Park. Out east, the Herndon and Williamsburg stores in Virginia were shuttered.
- The West: Even places like Boise, Idaho and Riverton, Utah weren't safe.
It’s worth noting that these weren’t just "store" closures. They also shut down a massive e-commerce fulfillment center in San Bernardino. When a company starts closing the warehouses that ship your online orders, it usually means they are trying to radically simplify how they move boxes. They’ve basically decided that shipping stuff directly from their remaining stores is cheaper than paying rent on a giant warehouse.
Why 2026 is the Year of "Wait and See"
So, is there an official 2026 list out yet? Not in the way you might think.
Corporate hasn't dropped a giant PDF with 100 addresses on it. Instead, they’re playing a game of "natural attrition." Basically, when a lease comes up for renewal in 2026, Kohl's management is looking at the numbers with a magnifying glass. If the store isn't making money, they just walk away.
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Retail analysts, including those tracking the "retail apocalypse" trends on platforms like RetailWire, suggest we might see another 10 to 20 stores quietly vanish this year as leases expire in dying malls. Kohl’s actually owns a huge chunk of its real estate—roughly $6 billion worth—which is their "get out of jail free" card. Unlike Macy's, which is closing 150 stores by 2026 because they’re drowning in lease debt, Kohl’s can afford to keep a mediocre store open longer because they own the dirt.
The Sephora Factor
The only thing keeping some of these stores on the map is the Sephora partnership. It’s been a massive win. Kohl’s reported that Sephora at Kohl's was on track to hit $2 billion in sales by 2025. If your local Kohl's has a Sephora, it’s probably safe for now. The stores that don't have that "prestige beauty" draw are the ones that should be worried.
What Really Happened with the Leadership Shakeup?
You can't talk about store closures without talking about the people running the show. At the start of 2025, Ashley Buchanan (who came from Michaels) took over as CEO. Whenever a new CEO steps in, they usually want to "clear the decks." This often leads to a "bold new chapter" (a phrase retail execs love) that involves cutting the fat.
The strategy right now seems to be:
- Shrink the Footprint: Smaller stores, more curated stuff.
- Double Down on Babies”R”Us: They are rolling out these shops inside Kohl's to catch the parents who used to shop at the now-defunct standalone baby stores.
- Slash the Dividend: They recently cut the dividend to preserve cash. Investors hated it, but it gives the company about $150 million more to play with.
How to Tell if Your Local Kohl's is At Risk
You don’t need to be a Wall Street pro to see the writing on the wall. If you walk into your local store and notice these three things, it might be time to use your Kohl’s Cash before the lights go out:
- The "Ghost Town" Vibe: Is the store consistently empty, even on a Saturday?
- Missing Upgrades: Did every other store in your district get the new Sephora or Babies”R”Us layout except yours? That’s a huge red flag.
- Clearance Creep: When the clearance section starts taking up 30% of the floor space and they aren't restocking the "new" arrivals, they are likely liquidating inventory locally.
Actionable Insights for Kohl's Shoppers
If you're worried about your local store disappearing, here is what you should actually do:
Spend your Kohl's Cash immediately. Don't sit on it. If a store goes into liquidation mode, they often stop accepting those rewards or make the terms incredibly difficult.
Check the "Store Locator" on the app frequently. Often, a store will be marked as "Closing Soon" or have restricted pickup hours before an official news blast goes out.
Monitor the Amazon Returns desk. This is a huge foot-traffic driver for Kohl's. If they ever move that desk or stop the partnership, the store's "value" to the corporate office drops significantly.
Watch the lease expiration. Most commercial leases run in 5 or 10-year cycles. If your local Kohl’s opened in 2016 or 2011, 2026 is a massive "renewal year" where the company has to decide to stay or go.
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At the end of the day, Kohl's isn't going bankrupt tomorrow. They have too much real estate value for that. But the days of having a Kohl's in every suburban strip mall are definitely over. They are becoming a leaner, smaller version of themselves, and while that might be good for their stock price, it’s a bummer for the people who just want to buy some towels without driving 40 minutes.
Keep an eye on those underperforming locations in mall-adjacent areas; those are the ones most likely to pop up on the next Kohl's stores closing list update later this year.