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This makes a ton of sense for Amazon, but not as much for Kohls. Why would I want to make returns easier for one of my competitors? A key advantage brick-and-mo

This makes a ton of sense for Amazon, but not as much for Kohls. Why would I want to make returns easier for one of my competitors? A key advantage brick-and-mortar stores have over online retailers is their local returns, so I'm not really understanding why Kohl's is giving that up.

dragonwriter 7y ago
> This makes a ton of sense for Amazon, but not as much for Kohls. Why would I want to make returns easier for one of my competitors? Kohl's also has Amazon boutiques; they see both this and the returns as a way to drive floor traffic that they expect they can monetize.
tartuffe78 7y ago
It brings people into their stores. If n% of people returning an Amazon package look around Kohl's while they are there, it's a win.
massivecali 7y ago
Because getting customers into a store is half the battle. The offchance they make a purchase, even that overpriced 2 dollar soda, is a win for Kohl's. It is all traffic and business they might not otherwise have.
- tyingq 7y ago
  Doesn't change your point, which makes great sense. Kohl's, though, is mostly clothes and shoes, with a smattering of small appliances and luggage. It's not a department store really.
  - burntwater 7y ago
    And clothes and shoes are actually the things I'm most likely to buy in a store.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
mattdodge 7y ago
We've been able to return most Amazon Prime items to Kohls here in SoCal for a while. When you drop off the return they hand you a 25% off coupon for anything in the store. There has been several times that I've browsed the store and bought something because of that coupon. So basically, Kohl's gets foot traffic and some purchases that they wouldn't have seen otherwise. Seems like a very smart and adaptive move on their part.
- hosh 7y ago
  Though, if I am going by Stretechery's aggregator theory (https://stratechery.com/2017/amazons-new-customer/ https://stratechery.com/2017/amazons-new-customer/) I am not sure how Khol's is going to get anywhere in the long run competing with Amazon as an aggregator, even with the increased foot traffic.
- mzs 7y ago
  Plus the returns area is in the back corner for the store near me, thus maximizing the chance you might see something you end-up purchasing impulsively.
- zippergz 7y ago
  Also at least at our local Kohl's, you have to walk ALL THE WAY through the store to get to the Amazon returns desk. It's upstairs, in the back corner. It is impossible to do an Amazon return at Kohl's without walking through tons of merchandise displays.
  - differentView 7y ago
    The one I've done my returns at, near LAX, has it at the front of the store.
- nkrisc 7y ago
  So if Amazon and Kohl's have the same item for the same price, you could buy it on Amazon, return it to Kohl's, and then buy it again at a 25% discount? Seems like hardly worth the hassle but could be nice if that promotion lasts.
intopieces 7y ago
I haven’t been to Kohl’s since my mom was buying me clothes for school (12 years ago) but I do buy stuff on Amazon and return it. I might end up in Kohl’s again soon.
tyingq 7y ago
I wonder how prepared Amazon is for return fraud. Having a 3rd party accept the returns, locally, makes them a more attractive target.
jressey 7y ago
There are not 'competitors' in business, only 'interests.' -Folke Kafka, professor of business administration, University of Pittsburgh.
esoterica 7y ago
There are several Amazon lockers within a couple blocks of my apartment. Returning stuff to Amazon is much easier than returning stuff to any brick and mortar store.
iandanforth 7y ago
This has been at least a short-term win for Kohl's. They've seen improved revenue since starting this partnership [1]. In the long term if Amazon decides it needs a lot of real-estate fairly quickly it could do worse than to buy a company with a lot of existing square footage it's already working with. This would probably deliver a win for Kohl's shareholders. [1] https://www.inc.com/justin-bariso/amazon-was-killing-kohls-online-then-kohls-did-something-completely-brilliant.html https://www.inc.com/justin-bariso/amazon-was-killing-kohls-o...
Noos 7y ago
Surprised you don't see this. A big issue with online clothes shopping is buying it sight unseen. By returning clothing there, people may just say to heck with it and buy comparable clothes at Kohl's, since they can try them on and see them prepurchase.

dragonwriter 7y ago

> This makes a ton of sense for Amazon, but not as much for Kohls. Why would I want to make returns easier for one of my competitors? Kohl's also has Amazon boutiques; they see both this and the returns as a way to drive floor traffic that they expect they can monetize.

tartuffe78 7y ago

It brings people into their stores. If n% of people returning an Amazon package look around Kohl's while they are there, it's a win.

massivecali 7y ago

Because getting customers into a store is half the battle. The offchance they make a purchase, even that overpriced 2 dollar soda, is a win for Kohl's. It is all traffic and business they might not otherwise have.

tyingq 7y ago
Doesn't change your point, which makes great sense. Kohl's, though, is mostly clothes and shoes, with a smattering of small appliances and luggage. It's not a department store really.
- burntwater 7y ago
  And clothes and shoes are actually the things I'm most likely to buy in a store.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]

mattdodge 7y ago

We've been able to return most Amazon Prime items to Kohls here in SoCal for a while. When you drop off the return they hand you a 25% off coupon for anything in the store. There has been several times that I've browsed the store and bought something because of that coupon. So basically, Kohl's gets foot traffic and some purchases that they wouldn't have seen otherwise. Seems like a very smart and adaptive move on their part.

hosh 7y ago
Though, if I am going by Stretechery's aggregator theory (https://stratechery.com/2017/amazons-new-customer/ https://stratechery.com/2017/amazons-new-customer/) I am not sure how Khol's is going to get anywhere in the long run competing with Amazon as an aggregator, even with the increased foot traffic.
mzs 7y ago
Plus the returns area is in the back corner for the store near me, thus maximizing the chance you might see something you end-up purchasing impulsively.
zippergz 7y ago
Also at least at our local Kohl's, you have to walk ALL THE WAY through the store to get to the Amazon returns desk. It's upstairs, in the back corner. It is impossible to do an Amazon return at Kohl's without walking through tons of merchandise displays.
- differentView 7y ago
  The one I've done my returns at, near LAX, has it at the front of the store.
nkrisc 7y ago
So if Amazon and Kohl's have the same item for the same price, you could buy it on Amazon, return it to Kohl's, and then buy it again at a 25% discount? Seems like hardly worth the hassle but could be nice if that promotion lasts.

intopieces 7y ago

I haven’t been to Kohl’s since my mom was buying me clothes for school (12 years ago) but I do buy stuff on Amazon and return it. I might end up in Kohl’s again soon.

tyingq 7y ago

I wonder how prepared Amazon is for return fraud. Having a 3rd party accept the returns, locally, makes them a more attractive target.

jressey 7y ago

There are not 'competitors' in business, only 'interests.' -Folke Kafka, professor of business administration, University of Pittsburgh.

esoterica 7y ago

There are several Amazon lockers within a couple blocks of my apartment. Returning stuff to Amazon is much easier than returning stuff to any brick and mortar store.

iandanforth 7y ago

This has been at least a short-term win for Kohl's. They've seen improved revenue since starting this partnership [1]. In the long term if Amazon decides it needs a lot of real-estate fairly quickly it could do worse than to buy a company with a lot of existing square footage it's already working with. This would probably deliver a win for Kohl's shareholders. [1] https://www.inc.com/justin-bariso/amazon-was-killing-kohls-online-then-kohls-did-something-completely-brilliant.html https://www.inc.com/justin-bariso/amazon-was-killing-kohls-o...

Noos 7y ago

Surprised you don't see this. A big issue with online clothes shopping is buying it sight unseen. By returning clothing there, people may just say to heck with it and buy comparable clothes at Kohl's, since they can try them on and see them prepurchase.