Retailer offers more details about new Tacoma Mall concept store, set to open this fall

The Kohl’s store coming to the Tacoma Mall is being touted by the company as one of its new concept stores.

In a recent corporate news site entry, the company wrote that the store, 4502 S. Steele St., is set to open in November.

“Unlike any other Kohl’s store, this location will showcase new ways we are innovating for the customer and delivering a more localized, modernized and inspiring shopping experience,” the retailer said.

“Thanks to data science, our teams are creating a Kohl’s store unique to the Tacoma market with new experiences, local touches, and merchandise assortments that cater to what we’re seeing and hearing from the local community,” it added.

The descriptions were broad on concept but offered few specific details.

The store’s interior will feature “polished concrete” instead of carpet on the floor, according to the company, and “new modern fixtures will bring in a sleek feel, and branding will show up differently throughout the store.”

“Customers will also find new product vignettes that tell stories across departments and brands with elevated, and diverse mannequins, offering shopping inspiration and engagement,” it added.

“Specifically, in Tacoma, we’ve created an experience catered toward this community,” said Nancy Carruth, Kohl’s executive vice president, brand strategy, creative and experience design, in the August update. “We’re leaning into inspiration and storytelling with lifestyle-led curations across brands and categories for an outdoor, active lifestyle.”

The company plans to open approximately 100 smaller-format stores, like the Tacoma site, over the next few years across the country. It added that some of the features brought to Tacoma could later be adapted for other stores.

Mark Griepentrog, Kohl’s chief property officer, said in the update, “We are going to use the new store as an opportunity to test, learn and inform as we continue to scale and drive long-term real estate growth.”

The store will be the second new Kohl’s store in the smaller format for Pierce County in 2022. Its Bonney Lake store opened in June. Kohl’s also operates stores in Gig Harbor, Puyallup, Lacey and Federal Way.

The mall’s property map shows the new store opening next to Ulta Beauty, near Nordstrom Rack and Total Wine & More, which opened last year.

Pre-app plans filed last year with the city showed the estimated construction cost of the new Kohl’s to be $2.4 million.

Kohl’s launched hiring for the Tacoma store in early August for approximately 15 full-time and 50 part-time positions, including Sephora beauty advisors. For more information on available positions or to apply, go to careers.kohls.com