Why Kohl's Has a Right to Win in Home Decor

In the winter of 2025, seniors from the Retail Studies Minor at Santa Clara University, under the guidance of Jeff Hom, the EVP and GMM of Kohl's, Cole Patterson, the founder of Swytchback, and Kirthi Kalyanam, L.J. Skaggs Professor, conducted a large-scale survey that quantifies and documents why Kohl's has a right to win in the Home Decor category—and with whom.

The following pictures show the SCU teams presenting to Jeff Hom and receiving his reactions and feedback. What a wonderful opportunity for a senior in college to work with and gain insights from a seasoned retail executive. At the Retail Management Institute, we believe these types of experiences turbocharge our students' knowledge base, skill set, and confidence.

Thank you, Jeff and Cole, for your incredible cooperation and multi-quarter effort in making this project a reality. We are all so grateful for your contributions.