CALIFORNIA, HERE KOHL'S COMES; WILL THE MIDMARKET JUGGERNAUT TOPPLE THE LOCALS, OR WILL WEST COAST SAVVY PREVAIL?

HFN: The Weekly Newspaper for the Home Furnishing Network, May, 2003 by THAU, BARBARA

NEW YORK-Watch out, California merchants: Kohl's has entered the state.

The midmarket phenomenon, which debuted in the state in March, plotting critical mass in the region, is sure to alter the local retail scene.

Regional fixtures Mervyn's, Macy's West and Robinson's-May are most likely to feel the competitive sting from Kohl's arrival, industry observers said. (See related story.)

And those chains have each taken notice of their new neighbor, albeit to varying degrees. Mervyn's, which stands to lose most from Kohl's penetration, is stepping up its pursuit of its core Hispanic shoppers with new programs, while Macy's West is accentuating its private-label home collections in response to Kohl's entry. Robinson's-May said it's staying the...