Kohl’s to open 35 new stores in former Mervyns sites next week

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Kohl’s will open 35 new stores in former Mervyns locations on Sept. 30, including 30 in California.

The department store chain has waited for years to make a big move into California. Currently, the company only has 91 stores in the state, and many of them are in outlying suburbs.

But Kohl’s faces many of the same economic challenges that led to the collapse of Mervyns and other retailers.

With unemployment at 12.2% in California, many consumers are in no mood to spend on apparel and accessories -- the very kinds of merchandise Kohl’s sells.

The retailer will also face stiff competition from sellers including JCPenney, Target and Ross.

But Chief Executive Kevin Mansell said the chain has already proven it can weather the recession and noted Kohl’s has fresher merchandise than Mervyns and a lineup of exclusive, national and private brands. The chain, which has more than 1,000 stores in 49 states, has consistently beat Wall Street’s sales expectations throughout the year.

Read the full story, with comments from Mansell and reality-TV-star-turned-fashion-designer Lauren Conrad, here.

-- Andrea Chang

And here’s a video about Kohl’s move.