SAULT STE. MARIE, Michigan — March 17, 2026, 11:37 EDT.
Kohl’s scrubbed its Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, store from its locator after confirming to local press that the branch will close March 14. That leaves the department-store operator with 44 Michigan locations—Sault Ste. Marie no longer among them—as part of its ongoing reset.
The timing is key here: just last week, Kohl’s projected that its 2026 sales could be anywhere from flat to falling by as much as 2%, even after topping fourth-quarter profit expectations. Comparable sales slipped 2.8%. Meanwhile, Placer.ai data cited by Reuters put store traffic down 5% for the October-through-December stretch.
Kohl’s keeps ceding market share to Amazon and budget rival Ross Stores. “Core low- to middle-income customers continue to face financial pressure and they are seeking value,” CEO Michael Bender said. Ross saw its foot traffic jump 11.9% over the same span, Reuters reported. Reuters
Kohl’s launched its Sault location back in early March 2016, bringing on roughly 80 employees and marking its 46th store in Michigan. “It’s concerning for the overall business community in Sault Ste. Marie,” said Tony Haller, executive director at the Sault Area Chamber of Commerce, speaking to 9&10 News. 910News.com
Kohl’s describes the site as minor next to its vast footprint. As of January 2025, the retailer operated over 1,100 stores across 49 states, saying that the 27 stores on the chopping block for that spring were lagging, while the rest of its locations continued to turn a profit.
The earlier round left out Michigan. Kohl’s plans to close its San Bernardino e-commerce fulfillment center once the lease runs out in May 2025—what then-CEO Tom Kingsbury described as tough, but necessary moves to shore up the business.
Bender’s response: keep it simple. In February, Kohl’s rolled out a Deal Bar across its stores, offering $10-and-under picks like Easter décor, craft kits and activity books. Executives told analysts they’re axing slow sellers, doubling down on basics and price.
No sweeping shutdowns on the horizon. Bender told analysts he isn’t looking at any “grand plan” for closing or adding stores. As for the recent profit uptick, Fitch’s David Silverman pointed to “good inventory and expense control”—not evidence that market share is holding steady. Retail Dive
David Swartz, an analyst at Morningstar, didn’t mince words: Kohl’s continues to struggle with stocking products that can lure customers from discount competitors, and, as he put it, department stores “just don’t have the relevance that they once did.” WTAQ News Talk
The risk hasn’t budged since last week: if shoppers stay away this spring, those margin improvements might fall short. Kohl’s was flat at $13.015 as of 11:21 a.m. EDT Tuesday—shares have swung wildly, already sinking far beneath last year’s meme-fueled peaks.
