Kohl’s taps British retail veteran as chief merchandising and digital officer

Kohl’s Corp. is filling a key spot in its C-suite with a seasoned British retail executive.

The department store retailer has named Nick Jones as chief merchandising and digital officer, effective in March. His appointment comes days after Kohl’s named Tom Kingsbury as CFO. (Kingsbury had been serving in the position on an interim basis since December, following the departure of Michelle Gass.)

Most recently, Jones was CEO of Joules Group, a British fashion and lifestyle brand that sells online, operates 130 stores and 1,500 wholesale partners, including Nordstrom and Dillard’s.  Prior to joining Joules in 2019, he spent nearly 10 years at Asda/Walmart UK, where he managed the multi-million dollar George brand and served as chief merchant.

Earlier in his career, Jones spent 15 years at Marks & Spencer, where he held a variety of business and merchandise leadership positions.

Jones will be responsible for Kohl's overall merchandise strategy and all merchandising functions, including buying, digital and omnichannel merchandising, product design and development,  and product portfolio strategy. As chief merchandising offer, he succeeds Doug Howe, who left Kohl’s in May to become president of DSW. (Howe will take the reins as CEO of DSW parent Designer Brands in April.)

"We are very excited to have Nick join our team and lead our merchandising organization as we continue our focus on the active and casual lifestyle while also accelerating our focus on product newness and innovation," said Kingsbury. "Nick has a tremendous wealth of experience in merchandising, retail, global sourcing, and business leadership. As we continue to build on our key national brands, enhance our proprietary product portfolio and drive newness for customers, we are confident that he is the right fit for our organization, our team and our customers."

"I'm thrilled to be joining Kohl's and love the strategic focus for today's customers who are living a more casual and comfortable lifestyle," said Jones. "I look forward to joining the team as we find fresh new ways to offer great products to our customers."