FeedsKohl's unveils new look in Northville
Staff Writer
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Manager Brian Ford said the new look at Kohl's in Northville was an attempt to stay modern.Kohl’s customers can finally enjoy the big reveal.
After six months of renovations, the Re-Grand Opening of the Northville Kohl’s took place Aug. 13, with customers finding wider aisles, more modern merchandising and a fresher, eclectic look.
“We’re not trying to change clientele,” store Manager Brian Ford said. “We just wanted to update the store and stay modern. We’ve been here for 10 years and we like our customers to feel at home. You wouldn’t want your home to have old carpet. We hope there’s a little excitement in the community about it, because we’re excited about the community we’re in.”
The Kohl’s department store, nestled on the corner of Eight Mile and Haggerty Road, is one of 36 nationwide stores earmarked for renovation this year. Ford said that one of the goals of the renovation was to maintain customer satisfaction by increasing store shopability with wider aisleways and the addition of upscale touches throughout the store.
“Probably one of the biggest impact is that we’ve widened every aisle 2 feet, in order to increase shopability,” Ford said. “Our fixtures are thinner to get shopping carts down them for an ease of shopping. We’ve also added sliding doors, for easier handicapped accessibility, and added better, brighter lighting. We also have new cashier stations so that the cashier is always facing the customer, and we’ve added two screens so that the customer can always see what’s going on with their transaction.”
Customers can also expect to see warm neutral tones and roomier clothing sections adding to the updated ambiance. New aisle end mahogany hutches decorate the housewares department, filled with clocks and lamps that customers can buy right off the wall. The juniors department has also been amped up, with oak floors and “runway” lighting, in addition to the new “student lounge” section, perfect for dorm shopping.
Ford, who has been manager of the store for the past 6 months, said that the renovations were timed to coincide with the back-to-school shopping rush, and hoped that the surge of old and new clients alike would be impressed with what they found.
“We expect great things,” Ford said. “We hope with all the back to school shopping we can reintroduce our customers to the new renovations and hopefully pick up a few new ones too. With the transition from summer to fall, we’re always trying to get the best value to the customer.
An 11-year retail veteran, Ford said that although the storewide revamp was exciting, it was the dedicated members of his team that would keep customers coming back year after year.
“My favorite part about working here would have to be my team of associates,” Ford said. “They’re a good, prideful, dedicated team. That and the daily interactions with people. We have a ‘Yes, we can’ attitude here at the store. We want to take care of the customer. It’s a lost art.”
