KOHLS Corp: Form 10-Q for the period ended Aug 2, 2025

For purposes of the following discussion, unless noted, all references to "the quarter” and “the second quarter” are for the three fiscal months (13 weeks) ended August 2, 2025 or August 3, 2024. References to "year to date" and "first half" are for the six fiscal months (26 weeks) ended August 2, 2025 or August 3, 2024. References to "first quarter" are for the three fiscal months (13 weeks) ended May 3, 2025 or May 4, 2024.

This Form 10-Q contains “forward-looking statements” made within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "may," "intends," "will," "should," "expects," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include certain statements under Management's Discussion and Analysis and the statements under 2025 Financial and Capital Allocation Outlook and may include comments about our future sales or financial performance and our plans, performance and other objectives, expectations or intentions, such as statements regarding our liquidity, debt service requirements, planned capital expenditures, future store initiatives, adequacy of capital resources and reserves, and the impact of macroeconomic events, including inflation, consumer behavior, and changes in global trade policies, such as tariffs, and our response to such events. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s then-current views and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Any such forward-looking statements are qualified by the important risk factors, described in Part I Item 1A of our 2024 Form 10-K, in Part II Item 1A of our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the first quarter of 2025, or disclosed from time to time in our filings with the SEC, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements relate to the date initially made, and we undertake no obligation to update them. Certain amounts set forth below may not foot or crossfoot due to rounding.

Executive Summary

Kohl's is a leading omnichannel retailer operating 1,153 stores and a website (www.Kohls.com (http://www.Kohls.com)) as of August 2, 2025. Our Kohl's stores and website sell moderately-priced private and national brand apparel, footwear, accessories, beauty, and home products. Our Kohl's stores generally carry a consistent merchandise assortment with some differences attributable to local preferences, store size, and Sephora at Kohl's shop-in-shops ("Sephora shops"). Our website includes merchandise which is available in our stores, as well as merchandise that is available only online.

Key financial results for the second quarter include:

• Net sales decreased 5.1%, to $3.3 billion, with comparable sales down 4.2%.
• Gross margin as a percentage of net sales was 39.9%, an increase of 28 basis points.
• Selling, general, and administrative ("SG&A") expenses decreased 4.1%, to $1.2 billion. As a percentage of total revenue, SG&A expenses were 33.8%, an increase of 32 basis points year-over-year.
• Gain on legal settlement was $129 million from a credit card interchange fee lawsuit.
• Operating income was $279 million compared to $166 million in the prior year. As a percentage of total revenue, operating income was 7.9%, an increase of 343 basis points year-over-year.
• On an adjusted non-GAAP basis, our adjusted operating income was $161 million.(a)
• Net income was $153 million, or $1.35 per diluted share. This compares to net income of $66 million, or $0.59 per diluted share, in the prior year.
• On an adjusted non-GAAP basis, our adjusted net income was $64 million, or $0.56 per adjusted diluted share.(a)

(a) Non-GAAP financial measures. Please see the “GAAP to Non-GAAP Reconciliation” for a reconciliation of operating income to adjusted operating income, net income to adjusted net income, and diluted earnings per share to adjusted diluted earnings per share.

• Inventory was $3.0 billion, a decrease of 5% year-over-year.
• Operating cash flow was $598 million compared to $254 million in the prior year.
• Borrowings under revolving credit facility were $75 million, a decrease of $335 million year-over-year.
• Current portion of long term debt was reduced by $353 million through repayment of the 4.25% notes due July 2025 at maturity.
• Long term debt increased $347 million through issuance of $360 million of 10.000% senior secured notes due 2030.

Our Strategy

Kohl's remains committed to driving long-term shareholder value by providing our customers with great product, great value, and a great experience. To achieve this, we will offer a curated balanced assortment, reestablish Kohl’s to be a leader in value and quality, and deliver a frictionless experience to customers across our omnichannel platforms.

2025 Financial and Capital Allocation Outlook

For the full year 2025, the Company expects the following:

• Net sales: A decrease of (5%) to a decrease of (6%)
• Comparable sales: A decrease of (4%) to a decrease of (5%)
• Adjusted operating margin: In the range of 2.5% to 2.7% (a)
• Adjusted diluted earnings per share: In the range of $0.50 to $0.80 (a)
• Capital expenditures: Approximately $400 million
• Dividend: On August 12, 2025, Kohl’s Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend on the Company’s common stock of $0.125 per share. The dividend is payable September 24, 2025 to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 10, 2025.

(a) Non-GAAP financial measures. The Company provides adjusted operating margin and adjusted diluted earnings per share on a non-GAAP basis and does not provide a reconciliation of the Company’s forward looking guidance to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures because of the inherent difficulty in forecasting and quantifying certain amounts that are necessary for such reconciliations.

Results of Operations

Total Revenue

(Dollars in Millions)

Net sales includes revenue from the sale of merchandise, net of expected returns and deferrals due to future performance obligations, and shipping revenue.

Net sales decreased 5.1% in the second quarter of 2025 and 4.6% year to date 2025.

• The decreases in the second quarter and year to date were driven by decreases in average transaction value of approximately 1% for both periods, and decreases in transaction volume of approximately 4% for both periods.
• In both the second quarter and year to date, sales decreased across all lines of business, except for Accessories, which increased approximately 1% in the second quarter and 3% year to date.

(Dollars in Millions)

Comparable sales decreased 4.2% in the second quarter of 2025 and 4.0% year to date 2025. Comparable sales is a measure that highlights the performance of our stores and digital channel by measuring the change in sales for a period over the comparable, prior-year period of equivalent length. Comparable sales includes all store and digital sales, except sales from stores open less than twelve months, stores that have been closed, and stores that have been relocated where square footage has changed by more than 10%.

Digital sales decreased 2.9% in the second quarter of 2025 and 5.2% year to date 2025. Digital penetration represented 26% of net sales in the second quarter of 2025 and 25% year to date 2025, compared to 25% in the second quarter and first half of 2024. We measure the change in digital sales by including all sales initiated online or through mobile applications, including omnichannel transactions which are fulfilled through our stores. We measure digital penetration as digital sales over net sales. These amounts do not take into consideration fulfillment node, digital returns processed in stores, and coupon behaviors.

Comparable sales and digital penetration measures vary across the retail industry. As a result, our comparable sales calculation and digital penetration may not be consistent with the similarly titled measures reported by other companies.

Other revenue includes revenue from credit card operations, third-party advertising on our website, unused gift cards and merchandise return cards (breakage), and other non-merchandise revenue.

Other revenue decreased $8 million in the second quarter of 2025 and $28 million year to date 2025. The decreases in both periods is driven by certain credit card expenses shifting against other revenue as we moved part of our account servicing to the third party that owns the accounts.

Cost of Merchandise Sold and Gross Margin

(Dollars in Millions)

Cost of merchandise sold includes the total cost of products sold, including product development costs, net of vendor payments other than reimbursement of specific, incremental, and identifiable costs; inventory shrink; markdowns; freight expenses associated with moving merchandise from our vendors to our distribution centers; shipping expenses for digital sales; and terms cash discount. Our cost of merchandise sold may not be comparable with that of other retailers because we include distribution center and buying costs in selling, general, and administrative expenses while other retailers may include these expenses in cost of merchandise sold.

Gross margin is calculated as net sales less cost of merchandise sold. Gross Margin was 39.9% of net sales for both the first quarter and first half of 2025, an increase of 28 and 33 basis points to last year, respectively. The increase in both periods was driven by merchandise mix, inventory management of receipts down 16% in the quarter and 12% year to date, and moderating shrink levels.

Selling, General, and Administrative Expense

(Dollars in Millions)

SG&A includes compensation and benefit costs (including stores, corporate, buying, and distribution centers); occupancy and operating costs of our retail, distribution, and corporate facilities; freight expenses associated with moving merchandise from our distribution centers to our retail stores and among distribution and retail facilities other than expenses to fulfill digital sales; marketing expenses, offset by vendor payments for reimbursement of specific, incremental, and identifiable costs; expenses related to our credit card operations; and other administrative revenues and expenses. We do not include depreciation and amortization in SG&A. The classification of these expenses varies across the retail industry.

Many of our expenses, including store payroll and distribution costs, are variable in nature. These costs generally increase as sales increase and decrease as sales decrease. We measure our expenses as a percentage of revenue and changes in this percentage compared to the prior year. If the expense as a percent of revenue decreased from the prior year, the expense "leveraged." If the expense as a percent of revenue increased over the prior year, the expense "deleveraged."

The following table summarizes the changes in SG&A by expense type:

(Dollars in Millions)

During the second quarter, SG&A expenses decreased $51 million, or 4.1%, to $1.2 billion. As a percentage of revenue, SG&A deleveraged by 32 basis points. Year to date 2025, SG&A expenses decreased $115 million, or 4.7%, to $2.4 billion. As a percentage of revenue, SG&A deleveraged by 2 basis points. The decreases for both periods are driven by lower store payroll, marketing, and distribution costs, as well as a shift of certain corporate credit card expenses to other revenue due to moving part of our account servicing to the third party that owns the accounts. Without the shift of certain corporate credit expenses, SG&A expenses would have decreased to last year 2.4% for the second quarter and 3.1% for the first half of 2025.

Other Expenses

(Dollars in Millions)

19

The decrease in depreciation and amortization in the second quarter and first half of 2025 was primarily driven by lower capital spend and closed locations.

We recognized $11 million of Impairments, store closing, and other costs in the second quarter. Included in this amount was $11 million of non-cash charges related to asset impairments, $7 million of severance, and $4 million of other costs primarily related to the closure of our Monroe, Ohio E-commerce Fulfillment Center. We also reversed $11 million of other exit costs initially recognized in the fourth quarter of 2024, related to the closure of our San Bernardino, California E-commerce Fulfillment Center and 27 underperforming stores due to favorable landlord negotiations.

In the second quarter, Kohl’s entered into a settlement agreement to resolve a credit card interchange fee lawsuit in which we were a plaintiff. We recorded a gain, net of legal fees, and received cash of $129 million.

Net interest expense decreased in the first half of 2025 due to reductions in lease payments for stores closed earlier this year and a loss on extinguishment of debt in 2024 that was not repeated in 2025, partially offset by interest on our newly issued 2030 notes.

Income Taxes

(Dollars in Millions)

The 2024 tax rates reflect the recognition of net favorable tax items, which decreases the tax rate from the statutory rate.

GAAP to Non-GAAP Reconciliation

In addition to reporting our financial results in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) for the first half of 2025, this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains certain non-GAAP financial results, including adjusted operating income, adjusted net income, and adjusted diluted earnings per share. These adjusted results exclude the gains, impairments, and other costs associated with the closing of 27 underperforming stores, our San Bernardino, California and Monroe, Ohio E-commerce Fulfillment Centers and settlement of a credit card interchange fee lawsuit, as we believe such items are not representative of our normal business activity. We believe these non-GAAP measures are useful, as they are more representative of our core business, enhance comparability across reporting periods and to industry peers, and align with the measures used by management to evaluate the Company’s performance. The adjusted, non-GAAP results are provided and should be evaluated in addition to, and not as an alternative for, our results reported in accordance with GAAP. Shown in the following table is a reconciliation of each non-GAAP measure referenced throughout this report to the most comparable GAAP measure. No adjustments were made to our results for the first half of fiscal 2024 and therefore these results are not included in the following table. Operating income was $166 million and $209 million in the second quarter and first half of 2024. Net income was $66 million, or $0.59 per diluted share, and $39 million, or $0.35 per diluted share, in the second quarter and first half of 2024.

(Dollars in Millions, Except per Share Data)

Seasonality and Inflation

Our business, like that of other retailers, is subject to seasonal influences. Sales and income are typically higher during the back-to-school and holiday seasons. Due to the seasonality of our business, results for any quarter are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be achieved for a full fiscal year.

We expect that our operations will continue to be influenced by general economic conditions, including food, fuel and energy prices, higher unemployment, wage inflation, and costs to source our merchandise, including tariffs. During the first half of 2025, the U.S. government announced additional tariffs on a broad range of imports, including certain consumer goods. While these actions did not have a material impact on our year to date results, the global trade environment remains fluid and further actions may increase merchandise costs, affect merchandise availability, and impact our operational results. We have taken proactive measures to reduce our exposure to tariffs by leveraging our diverse factory network to move production, adjusting orders based on pricing elasticity analysis, and working closely with our supplier and vendor base to proactively manage any impacts, with the goal of continuing to drive value to our customers. There can be no assurances that such factors will not impact our business in the future.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Capital Allocation

Our capital allocation strategy is to invest to maximize our overall long-term return and maintain a strong balance sheet. We follow a disciplined approach to capital allocation based on the following priorities: first we invest in our business to drive long-term profitable growth; second we pay a quarterly dividend; third we will capitalize on opportunities to further reduce our debt and overall leverage, when appropriate; and fourth, we return excess cash to shareholders through our share repurchase program.

We will continue to invest in the business, as we plan to invest approximately $400 million in 2025, which includes the investments to complete the roll out of Sephora shops, expansion of impulse queuing lines to nearly all stores, and expansion of our E-commerce Fulfillment Center in Etna, Ohio. On August 12, 2025, our Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.125 per share. The dividend will be paid on September 24, 2025 to all shareholders of record at the close of business on September 10, 2025. In May, we issued $360 million in aggregate principal amount of 10.000% senior secured notes due 2030; in July, $353 million in aggregate principal amount of our 4.25% notes matured and were repaid. We are not planning any share repurchases during the current year.

Our period-end Cash and cash equivalents balance decreased to $174 million from $231 million in the second quarter of 2024. Our Cash and cash equivalents balance includes short-term investments of $17 million and $10 million as of August 2, 2025, and August 3, 2024, respectively. Our investment policy is designed to preserve principal and liquidity of our short-term investments. This policy allows investments in large money market funds or in highly rated direct short-term instruments. We also place dollar limits on our investments in individual funds or instruments.

The following table presents our primary uses and sources of cash:

(Dollars in Millions)

Operating Activities

Our operating cash outflows generally consist of payments to our employees for wages, salaries and other employee benefits, payments to our merchandise vendors for inventory (net of vendor allowances), payments to our shipping carriers, and payments to our landlords for rent. Operating cash outflows also include payments for income taxes and interest payments on our debt borrowings.

Operating activities generated $506 million of cash in the first half of 2025 compared to $247 million in the first half of 2024. Operating cash flow increased primarily due to inventory management, resulting in managing year to date receipts down 12% versus the prior year. Additionally, the increase was driven by a higher net income, due in part to a $129 million gain recognized during the quarter with respect to settlement of a credit card interchange fee lawsuit.

Investing Activities

Our investing cash outflows include payments for capital expenditures, including investments in new and existing stores, improvements to supply chain, and technology costs. Our investing cash inflows are generally from proceeds from sales of property and real estate.

Investing activities used $179 million of cash in the first half of 2025 compared to $237 million in the first half of 2024. The decrease in cash used in investing activities was primarily driven by our reduced capital expenditure plans for fiscal 2025 which includes lower capital spend on the expansion of our E-commerce Fulfillment Center in Etna, Ohio, which will be completed in the third quarter. Additionally, we received $21 million in proceeds from sale of real estate primarily due to the sale of a corporate property.

At the end of the quarter, we had a Sephora presence in over 1,100 of our stores, including 855 full size 2,500 square foot shops and 294 small format 750 square foot shops. In 2025, we anticipate capital expenditures of approximately $400 million, which includes the investments to complete the roll out of Sephora shops, expansion of impulse queuing lines to nearly all stores, and expansion of our E-commerce Fulfillment Center in Etna, Ohio.

Financing Activities

Our financing strategy is to ensure adequate liquidity and access to capital markets. We also strive to maintain a balanced portfolio of debt maturities, while minimizing our borrowing costs. Our ability to access the public debt market has provided us with adequate sources of liquidity. Our continued access to these markets depends on multiple factors, including the condition of debt capital markets, our operating performance, and our credit ratings.

During the second quarter, Moody's downgraded our corporate credit rating from Ba3 to B2, and revised their outlook to stable.

As of August 2, 2025, our corporate credit ratings and outlook were as follows:

In December 2024, S&P downgraded our senior unsecured credit rating from BB to BB- and Moody’s downgraded our rating from Ba3 to B1. As a result of the downgrades, the interest rate on our 3.375% notes due May 2031 increased an additional 50 basis points in May 2025 due to the coupon adjustment provision within the notes. During the second quarter 2025, Moody's downgraded our senior unsecured credit rating from B1 to B3, however, further downgrades by Moody's do not trigger incremental interest rate increases. In total, the interest rate on the notes due May 2031 have increased 175 basis points since their issuance.

The majority of our financing activities generally include proceeds and/or repayments of borrowings under our revolving credit facility and long-term debt, dividend payments, and repurchases of common stock. Financing cash outflows also include payments to our landlords for leases classified as finance leases and financing obligations.

Financing activities used $287 million of cash in the first half of 2025 and generated $38 million of cash in the first half of 2024.

Cash dividend payments were $28 million ($0.25 per share) in the first half of 2025 compared to $111 million ($1.00 per share) in the first half of 2024.

During the first half of 2025, we had net repayments of $215 million on our $1.5 billion credit facility, compared to net borrowings of $318 million in the first half of 2024. Borrowings outstanding under the revolving credit facility, recorded as short-term debt, were $75 million as of August 2, 2025, and $410 million as of August 3, 2024.

In May 2025, we issued $360 million aggregate principal amount of 10.000% senior secured notes due 2030. We received net proceeds of $357 million after the debt discount. In July 2025, we repaid $353 million of our 4.25% notes at maturity.

In the second quarter of 2024, we completed a voluntary redemption of the remaining $113 million outstanding 9.50% notes due May 15, 2025.

There was no cash used for treasury stock purchases in the first half of 2025 or 2024. Share repurchases are discretionary in nature. The timing and amount of repurchases are based upon available cash balances, our stock price, and other factors. As previously noted, while we are not currently planning for share repurchases, we expect to resume share repurchases over the long-term following improvement in overall leverage.

Key Financial Ratios

Key financial ratios that provide certain measures of our liquidity are as follows:

(Dollars in Millions)

Our working capital and inventory levels typically build throughout the fall, peaking during the November and December holiday selling season.

The increases in our working capital and current ratio are driven by the repayment of $353 million of our 4.25% notes that matured during the quarter and decreased borrowings under the revolving credit facility.

Debt Covenant Compliance

Our senior secured, asset based revolving credit facility contains customary events of default and financial, affirmative and negative covenants, including but not limited to, a springing financial covenant relating to our fixed charge coverage ratio and restrictions on indebtedness, liens, investments, asset dispositions, and restricted payments.

Our $360 million aggregate principal amount of 10.000% senior secured notes due 2030 contain covenants that limit our ability to grant or incur liens on the collateral; incur, assume or guarantee additional indebtedness; sell or otherwise dispose of assets that are collateral; and make certain restricted payments. Additionally, upon the occurrence of certain change of control repurchase events, we would be required to offer to repurchase the notes for at least 101% of the aggregate principal amount of the notes being repurchased, plus all accrued but unpaid interest as of the date of repurchase. Further, the terms of the notes set forth certain events of default after which the notes may be declared immediately due and payable and set forth certain types of bankruptcy or insolvency events of default.

As of August 2, 2025, we were in compliance with all covenants.

Contractual Obligations

Aside from the issuance of $360 million aggregate principal amount of 10.000% senior secured notes due 2030, the repayment of $353 million of our 4.25% notes due 2025 at maturity, and the change in borrowings under our revolving credit facility, which have all been disclosed in Note 3 of the Consolidated Financial Statements, there have been no significant changes in the contractual obligations disclosed in our 2024 Form 10-K.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We have not provided any financial guarantees arising from arrangements with unconsolidated entities or persons as of August 2, 2025.

We have not created, and are not a party to, any special-purpose or off-balance sheet entities for the purpose of raising capital, incurring debt, or operating our business. We do not have any arrangements or relationships with entities that are not consolidated into our financial statements that are reasonably likely to materially affect our financial condition, liquidity, results of operations, or capital resources.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts. Management has discussed the development, selection, and disclosure of its estimates and assumptions with the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors. There have been no significant changes in the critical accounting policies and estimates discussed in our 2024 Form 10-K.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, we carried out an evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures (the “Evaluation”) at a reasonable assurance level as of the last day of the period covered by this report.

Based upon the Evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures are effective at the reasonable assurance level. Disclosure controls and procedures are defined by Rule 13a-15(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") as controls and other procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified by the SEC's rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures.

It should be noted that the design of any system of controls is based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving our stated goals under all potential future conditions, regardless of how remote.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the quarter ended August 2, 2025 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

In addition to the other information set forth in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, careful consideration should be taken of the risk factors discussed in Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors,” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 1, 2025 and in Part II, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” of our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the first quarter of 2025 ended May 3, 2025. These risk factors could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and liquidity. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also have a material adverse effect on our business operations.

There have been no significant changes in the Risk Factors described in our 2024 Form 10-K, other than as set out in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended May 3, 2025, in Item 1A of Part II.