Kohl’s Corp., the famous department store chain, has made strides in its collaboration with Babies R Us by launching an exclusive baby registry on its ecommerce platform and mobile application. This registry allows expectant parents to create and share their desired gift lists online, providing an effective and convenient tool for upcoming baby showers or other related events.
The newly inaugurated Babies R Us at Kohl’s Baby Registry offers customers a selection of over 2,000 hand-picked items. These include everything from essential baby clothing and furniture to bath essentials, giving customers a vast variety to choose from. An exciting addition to this collection is merchandise from Kohl’s broader range.
Reputable for its extensive online retail services, Kohl’s stands at No. 23 in the ranking of the largest North American online retailers. It is more specifically classified under the Apparel & Accessories category.
An interesting development has been noted in the state of online retail services within the baby gear market. In 2023, Top 1000 baby gear retailers reported a 16.6% decrease in their annual sales, dropping to $64.43 million. Bed Bath & Beyond and Toys R Us, which were owners of buybuy Baby and Babies R Us respectively, had to declare bankruptcy. Fortunately, these well-known retail brands have since been acquired by new owners and are steadily making a comeback.
The recent initiative by Kohl’s is a significant extension of its existing partnership with WHP Global, the parent company of Babies R Us. Earlier this year, Kohl’s had introduced Babies R Us shop-in-shop sections in 200 of its stores, featuring dedicated spaces for baby products alongside its existing inventory.
As Taylor Cygan, a spokesperson for Kohl’s, shared, customers can now enjoy an augmented assortment of baby brands not only in stores but also through the Kohl’s application and website. Kohl’s anticipates that the collaboration with Babies R Us will attract new customers, particularly younger shoppers, and foster loyalty among expanding families.
According to available information, all 200 Babies R Us shop-in-shops are currently functional. Spreading across 700 to 2,500 square feet, these sections host a plethora of baby products and renowned brands such as Baby Bjorn, Burt’s Bees, Graco, and Fisher-Price, conveniently located next to Kohl’s baby and kids’ departments.
As per Kohl’s CEO Tom Kingsbury, baby gear, particularly car seats and strollers, have proved to be best sellers with baby furniture following closely. Kingsbury also mentioned that Kohl’s has integrated maternity wear from Motherhood, a direct-to-consumer brand, into its exclusive collection.
Under the new strategic approach, Kohl’s has reportedly launched its Baby Registry, positioning it as a core element of their omnichannel strategy, specified to blend both online and in-store shopping experiences. The registry aids future parents to confirm shipping details, track the baby’s due date, create a welcome message, and compile their gift list.
Registry users can also receive a 15% discount on remaining eligible baby items, which can be redeemed either in-store or online. Beyond that, shoppers are entitled to earn and redeem Kohl’s Cash during promotional periods, and Kohl’s Rewards members continue to accumulate points on registry purchases.
In commemoration of the launch, Kohl’s has announced that they will offer a complimentary welcome gift box to parents who create a registry this fall, while supplies last.
Kohl’s teaming up with Babies R Us aligns with their successful Sephora shop-in-shop initiative launched in 2021. As of August, Kohl’s has more than 1,100 stores across 49 states with 1,050 Kohl’s locations hosting Sephora.
According to Kingsbury, this partnership has been remarkably successful. The store’s second fiscal quarter which ended on Aug. 3 reported a considerable rise in sales attributed to Sephora at Kohl’s. Total beauty sales saw a boost of about 45%. In 2023 alone, Sephora at Kohl’s sales reached $1.4 billion, placing them on track to exceed their $2 billion sales target by 2025.
