KOHL’S DEBUTS NEW PRIVATE LABEL ATHLEISURE BRAND

by Stephen Garner

Kohl’s has launched its first private label athleisure brand, FLX, in more than 300 stores and online.

A sustainably-focused brand for both men and women, FLX features size-inclusive active and casual separates made with high-quality performance fabrics and functional details. The collection will include both core items and a rotation of seasonally relevant merchandise.

“As consumers continue to gravitate toward active and casual offerings, we saw an opportunity to introduce a private label athleisure brand to offer fashion-forward, high-quality products at a great value to our 65 million customers nationwide,” said Doug Howe, chief merchandising officer at Kohl’s. “Our teams were focused on building a brand driven by style, performance and comfort, and sustainability, and we are excited to debut FLX, which marries these components seamlessly for our customers. The addition of FLX demonstrates our continued commitment to growing our active business and evolving our brand portfolio to meet the needs of today’s consumer.”

The launch of FLX is the latest step in Kohl’s execution of its new strategic framework to become a leader in the active and casual lifestyle as the company’s continued effort to grow its active category from 20 percent to at least 30 percent of its business. FLX complements Kohl’s existing private and national brand portfolio, which includes active and outdoor brands including Nike, Under Armour, Adidas, Champion, Columbia, and Eddie Bauer, and casual brands such as Lands’ End, Levi’s, and Sonoma Goods for Life.