Walking into a store should feel comfortable. It should feel personal. It should feel like your presence matters.
That idea sits at the center of Kohl’s Inclusion & Belonging strategy, which continues to grow as the company reshapes how it supports people, customers, and communities.
Kohl’s has already invested $8 million into diverse initiatives and plans to reach $20 million by 2025.
The brand shifted from “DEI” to “Inclusion & Belonging” in March 2025, creating a clearer focus on what shoppers and employees say they want most: a place where they feel welcomed and valued.
Here’s how that shift is taking shape across stores and programs.
Kohl’s Inclusion & Belonging Starts With Its People
Kohl’s invests heavily in building a workplace where employees feel supported throughout their careers.
The company partners with groups that help bring in candidates from a wide mix of backgrounds and life experiences. Hiring teams follow structured practices to create fair, consistent evaluations.
Retention plays a major role too. Associates can join coaching programs, access leadership workshops, and explore paths toward supervisor and management roles.
These programs are easy to access on internal platforms, making it simple for new and long-term employees to grow.
Business Resource Groups (BRGs)
Kohl’s supports seven BRGs that help shape culture and influence business decisions:
- Asian Pacific BRG
- Black BRG
- Hispanic/Latino BRG
- LGBTQI+ Pride BRG
- Veterans BRG
- Women BRG
- DiverseAbilities BRG
Each group welcomes any associate who wants to participate or show support. Members often help guide product development, store events, and community outreach.
Their insights help leaders understand what different groups of customers value and how stores can serve them better.
Leadership and Structure
With the move to Inclusion & Belonging, Michelle Banks stepped into the role of Chief Inclusion & Belonging Officer.
The title changed, but the responsibility remains the same: lead an approach that ties inclusion to business results.
The shift reflects Kohl’s intent to match evolving language while keeping its long-standing commitments intact.
Serving Customers Through Inclusive Design and Real Representation
You feel the impact of Inclusion & Belonging the moment you start browsing products. Kohl’s uses diverse models across campaigns, featuring a variety of ages, body types, skin tones, and abilities.
These choices shape a shopping experience that feels more familiar and more accurate to the world around us.
Product Fit, Pricing, and Real Details
Kohl’s offers size-inclusive options across brands like Sonoma Goods for Life, SO, and LC Lauren Conrad, with jeans that often range from $24 to $50, tops between $12 and $36, and dresses that typically fall between $40 and $70.
Adaptive clothing appears in select lines with features like easy closures, adjustable hems, and stretch fabrics.
Seasonal collections include cultural designs and styles tied to holidays such as Lunar New Year or Día de los Muertos. These runs include items priced in the $15 to $50 range depending on the category.
Accessibility in Stores and Online
Stores continue to update layouts to improve aisle spacing and navigation for mobility aids.
Online, Kohl’s adds alt-text descriptions on product images and offers filter tools that help shoppers narrow results quickly by size, fabric, or fit preferences.
Kohl’s Community Investments and Local Partnerships
Kohl’s Inclusion & Belonging extends far beyond its stores. The company is committed to investing $20 million by 2025 into programs that support education, health, and economic mobility.
With $8 million already allocated, many of these funds assist organizations working in underserved neighborhoods.
Local store teams help guide these partnerships. Each location picks nonprofits that meet real regional needs—from youth mentoring programs to wellness clinics to community arts organizations.
Teams track how many people are served, how funds are used, and how community members respond over time.
Supplier Diversity and Economic Mobility
Kohl’s plans to triple spending with diverse suppliers by 2025. These suppliers include:
- Women-owned businesses
- Veteran-owned businesses
- LGBTQI+–owned businesses
- Minority-owned businesses
Suppliers go through a structured onboarding process that helps them understand requirements for packaging, materials, and delivery timelines.
Once approved, they receive ongoing support to help scale production. Their presence strengthens product variety and brings cultural authenticity into Kohl’s merchandise mix.
Understanding the Shift From DEI to Inclusion & Belonging
The company’s March 2025 transition came during a period of fast-changing public conversations.
Kohl’s chose clearer, more grounded language while keeping all major programs, investments, and accountability measures intact.
The focus remains the same: create belonging everywhere people interact with the brand.
Kohl’s shared updates with employees, customers, and partners throughout the transition to avoid confusion. That transparency helped maintain trust and reduce uncertainty.
Tracking Progress Through Measurable Results
Kohl’s measures Inclusion & Belonging work in several ways, including:
- Workforce demographics
- Supplier spending
- Community investment totals
- Employee retention rates
- Customer satisfaction trends
- BRG engagement and participation
The company reviews both numeric outcomes and real stories from associates and shoppers. This blended approach helps identify strengths, highlight gaps, and guide future improvements
Conclusion
Kohl’s Inclusion & Belonging strategy brings more comfort, clarity, and connection to the retail experience. You see it in the products, the people behind them, and the communities they support.
If you want a sense of what the future of retail could look like, Kohl’s gives you a strong preview. Take a look at their latest collections or explore your local store to see these changes in action.
Let’s continue creating spaces where everyone feels welcome.
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