Strategic thinking is a team effort. That’s why we are committed to engaging associates across the company in inclusive programming to share their stories and ideas. Championing this, Kohl’s Young Professionals Business Resource Group (YP BRG) came together earlier this month to inspire big thinkers through a company-wide innovation event. At its core, Kohl’s YP BRG Innovation Tank drives connections across the organization and provides a platform where all associates can present their business ideas to senior leadership, creating safe empathic spaces to ignite future growth for the company.
Kohl’s YP BRG 2022 Innovation Tank
This year, our winning team of store associates were challenged to come up with a business idea focused on Operations. After ideating and researching several business ideas, the winning team was able to identify an opportunity to enhance Kohl’s buy online, pick up in-store (BOPUS) technology. The system change will allow Kohl’s to better meet the needs of our customers, while also providing enhanced support to our associates.
“Having an idea and then having it be heard and implemented is a huge honor,” said Jason Miller, Kohl’s loss prevention strategy manager and 2022 Innovation Tank winner. “This platform is so powerful as it enables any person in the company who wants to participate to have a voice and contribute in a really meaningful way. It was great to collaborate with my fellow team members Amy Eastlund, Brianna Floryshak and Regina Warner, as well as our coach Ellen Weber, and build an extension of our BOPUS technology that puts our field associates and customers first.”
“Winning the 2022 Innovation Tank alongside my team members has been such a rewarding experience,” said Amy Eastlund, Kohl’s assistant store manager and 2022 Innovation Tank winner. “As an assistant store manager, I know how important it is to not only ensure our customers have a great experience, but also our associates as well. Our hope is that this new add-on will further strengthen the Company’s omnichannel foundation while providing more options to our customers.”
Want to know what’s next? Stay updated on Kohl’s strategy updates on Corporate.Kohls.com.
How Kohl’s 2021 YP BRG Innovation Tank Reinforced Kohl’s Gender Neutral Clothing Assortment
Last year’s Innovation Tank winners developed an idea to offer gender neutral clothing to our customer base. The group was able to present the idea to senior members at Kohl’s and provide a detailed plan of how this idea could be brought to life. In partnership with our merchant teams who developed this project as a part of the company’s broader diversity & inclusion strategy (D&I), Kohl’s YP BRG helped add momentum to the product development. Now, Kohl’s offers styles of gender-neutral kids apparel through our private label brands, Jumping Beans, Sonoma Goods for Life, and Tek Gear.
"I was so proud to be a member of the winning team, but more importantly I was proud that our idea supported Kohl's foundation of inclusiveness and diversity,” said Greg Savera, Kohl’s store manager and 2021 Innovation Tank winner. “Our idea of gender neutral clothing was at the cutting edge of new product development, but it’s ideas like this that are needed to continue the process of bringing all of us together in an inclusive and welcoming environment. Our group was diverse, but our commonality was not. We all wanted to be a part of something bigger than just winning the competition. I was so moved by this experience that I will proudly carry the impact that I made with me the rest of my life."
For more information about how to join Kohl’s winning team and have the opportunity to drive future growth, visit careers.kohls.com.