You may have been under the impression that Kohl’s, a department store where suggested retail prices are largely imaginary because most of the store is at least 30% off, already was a discount store. Even then, they’re about to experiment with an even more discounted store, joining stores like Nordstrom, Saks, and now Macy’s in opening their own downscale outlet store.

The new Kohl’s store will be about 30,000 square feet, located in New Jersey’s Philadelphia suburbs, and will be called Off Aisle by Kohl’s. That’s about half the size of the smallest existing Kohl’s stores. The chain says it will have returned merchandise from regular Kohl’s stores: they haven’t said this, but we suspect that they’ll also carry items that have sat around other stores for too long.

Kohl’s is a retailer that focuses on middle-class customers, and the American middle class is keeping a firm hand on their wallets recently. Off-price stores like TJ Maxx and Ross, however, have been doing great. While this year so far, the west coast ports slowdown that delayed some fashion shipments and send them to the outlet market has been great for low-end retailers of higher-end merchandise.

Kohl’s will test off-priced store for returned merchandise [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]

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