Would buying a Kohl really mean anything to NJ buyers?

An announcement was made recently that directly affects two of New Jersey’s largest retailers. According to Market watchthe owners of JCPenney have launched an offer to buy Kohl’s for $8.6 billion.

Now some might be thinking what that means for their Garden State shopping experience. Does this mean store closings? Does this mean a brand change?

For most, that won’t mean much. Most of the changes would happen behind the scenes anyway, and it won’t change shopping habits all that much.

Think about it with past mergers and takeovers. When Amazon took over operations from Whole Foods, did people suddenly stop shopping there? No, they didn’t.

Now the folks at the Garden State have spoken of this new partnership with trepidation. Would the products be cheaper? Would the stores change appearance? What will I do once the new owner is installed? Will the stores change names?

And you know what? We ended up being OK. The store is still called Whole Foods, the prices have actually improved and the quality has not suffered. As a result, New Jersey survived to see another day without major disruption to its shopping routine.

The same would likely happen if Kohl’s and JCPenney merged. It has already been announced that if this joining of forces occurs, both brands will continue to operate under the names they currently have.

Plus, it will likely become more efficient and streamlined. And with that comes a better shopping experience and sometimes better prices for the consumer.

Yeah, there’s quite a bit of discussion on social media right now about this, including right here in New Jersey. But the simple fact remains the same. It’s business, and mergers happen all the time.

Maybe fusion isn’t the right word to use here. Think of it more like a new partnership between the two brands. Yes, they would operate under the same umbrella, but other than that, New Jersey would continue to see another day with the stores and brands they love.

So if you’re a frequent Kohl’s or JCPenney shopper, you probably have nothing to worry about. More likely than not, your shopping experience will only improve if Kohl’s accepts JCPenney’s offer.

Speaking of improvement, let’s look beyond retail for a moment. Yes, change happens all the time as we move forward. Sometimes change is good. And other times, not so much.

With the summer season fast approaching, it’s time to start thinking about summer fun and how we can change things for the better. Let’s start with outdated rules at the beach.

Check out these beach rules that are probably best left in the past. Number five, in particular, should have been eliminated years ago.

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