CollectionsAug 27, 2025
Mined + Found’s New Collection Gets Playful The “Play” collection centers on nostalgic toys that have kinetic elements to carry playfulness and wonder into adulthood.
MajorsSep 26, 2017
Kohl’s Will Have a New CEO Next Year
Kevin Mansell is retiring and will be replaced by Chief Merchandising and Customer Officer Michelle Gass.
Michelle Gass, right, will take over as CEO of Kohl’s Corp. next spring, succeeding Kevin Mansell, left, who started with the retailer as a divisional merchandise manager in 1982 and became its CEO in 2008.
Menomonee Falls, Wis.--Off-price department store chain Kohl’s announced Tuesday that President and CEO Kevin Mansell will retire in May 2018 after the company’s annual shareholders meeting.
Chief Merchandising and Customer Officer Michelle Gass will become the retailer’s new CEO, with Chief Operating Officer Sona Chawla stepping into the role of president.
Mansell, 65, has been with Kohl’s for a total of 35 years. He has spent 19 years on the board and almost 10 years as CEO.
Gass, 49, joined Kohl’s in 2013 as chief customer officer, heading the retailer’s marketing and e-commerce business. In 2015, her role expanded to include responsibility for merchandising, planning and product development.
Before she worked at Kohl’s, Gass spent about 17 years at Starbucks overseeing marketing, beverage and food merchandising, and global strategy.
As president, she will maintain her responsibilities for the retailer’s omnichannel operations.
The change in leadership at Kohl’s comes at a time when brick-and-mortar retailers are under immense pressure from online competitors and are struggling to reinvent themselves in the digital age.
Many are closing hundreds of stores while downsizing others, and funneling resources into digital operations while, at the same time, trying to give consumers a reason to come into stores.
Like Kohl’s, many retailers, including jewelry industry giants Signet Jewelers and Tiffany & Co., are making changes at the top.
Ahead of the holiday season, Kohl’s announced that it is partnering with Amazon to open shop-in-shops at 10 of its stores in the Los Angeles and Chicago areas that will sell Amazon “smart” home products, like Amazon Echo and Fire TV.
In the company statement announcing his retirement, Mansell credited Gass with engineering the retailer’s partnership with Amazon.
“The retail industry is going through a transformational amount of change and Michelle is extremely qualified and positioned to lead Kohl’s through this evolution,” he said.
Kohl’s said its board plans to appoint one of its current independent members as chairman when Mansell retires next spring. Gass will be nominated to fill the vacancy created by Mansell’s retirement.
Kohl’s Corp. ranked No. 22 on National Jeweler’s 2016 “$100 Million Supersellers” list, with an estimated $279 million in watch and jewelry sales in 2015.
More on Majors
The Latest
CollectionsAug 26, 2025
Does Your Jewelry Stack Need a Snack?Designer Christina Puchi, the creative force behind CCWW Designs, has created charms and pendants based on iconic candies and crackers.
WatchesAug 26, 2025
Nick Jonas Gets Nostalgic in New Fossil CampaignThe Jonas Brothers star showed off new timepieces against the backdrop of his favorite spots in his home state of New Jersey.
Brought to you by
Rallying Call for the Jewelry Industry on Tariffs and Other Key IssuesJewelers of America is leading the charge to protect the industry amidst rising economic threats.
IndependentsAug 26, 2025
Hinkamp Jewelers Celebrates 70 YearsThe family-owned jeweler in Fayetteville, North Carolina, is in the hands of the second generation.
Weekly QuizAug 22, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
ColumnistsAug 26, 2025
Back to School, Back to Style: Why August is Prime Time for Self-GiftingIn his latest column, Emmanuel Raheb shares tips for encouraging customers to treat themselves to new jewelry.
WatchesAug 25, 2025
London Jewelers Brings Rolex to Historic Hamptons HomeThe new stand-alone Rolex boutique is housed in the former Odd Fellows Hall, a landmark built in 1897.
Brought to you by
Taking the Moment Head On: How Rio Grande Champions the Present & Future of Fine JewelryAs a leading global jewelry supplier, Rio Grande is rapidly expanding and developing new solutions to meet the needs of jewelers worldwide.
CollectionsAug 25, 2025
Tennis Star Madison Keys Has the Perfect Necklace for the US OpenThe Brilliant Earth ambassador co-designed a diamond medallion featuring meaningful symbols.
TrendsAug 25, 2025
Amanda’s Style File: That’s a WrapWrap jewelry is more than just a trend; it’s the perfect motif for the coming season of layering, scarves, and pumpkin spice.
WatchesAug 25, 2025
WatchTime NY Show Returns for 10th Anniversary EditionThe three-day watch collector show, coming this October, will feature 44 exhibiting brands, as well as a new dinner experience.
GradingAug 22, 2025
Former Head of GIA India Promoted to Oversee Global Operations Sriram “Ram” Natarajan is now GIA’s senior vice president of laboratory operations and is based out of the lab’s headquarters in Carlsbad.
CollectionsAug 22, 2025
Piece of the Week: Retrouvaí’s ‘Diamond Vein Bond’ CollarThe one-of-a-kind collar represents the beauty of imperfection and the strength to rebuild.
MajorsAug 21, 2025
Target Names New CEO as Sales Continue to Lag Target CEO Brian Cornell will step down in February and be replaced by the company’s chief operating officer, Michael Fiddelke.
Policies & IssuesAug 21, 2025
JA, IDMA Talk Tariffs With Execs in DC The group met with the president's senior trade advisor earlier this week to express the industry’s concerns about the effects of tariffs.
MajorsAug 21, 2025
Tiffany & Co. Pops Up at 2025 US OpenThe pop-up will display this year's Tiffany & Co. Singles Championship trophies along with a diamond-encrusted tennis racket and ball.
IndependentsAug 20, 2025
Bellman’s Jewelers Opens Second Store After COO's TikTok Takes OffThe New Hampshire-based store has expanded to Boston, propelled by the success of Alex Bellman’s TikTok page, “The Truthful Jeweler.”
CrimeAug 20, 2025
Another CA Jewelry Store Rammed With Car, RobbedThe latest incident happened Monday at a store in Oakland, California, continuing a pattern JSA first warned about last month.
WatchesAug 20, 2025
Oris Launches Watch Benefiting NYC Harbor Oyster RestorationThe new aqua green New York Harbor Limited Edition II is the watchmaker’s second collaboration with the Billion Oyster Project.
Events & AwardsAug 20, 2025
Take the Jewelers for Children ‘Trinity of Purpose’ ChallengeParticipants who attend any three Rings of Strength events will be awarded a special medal.
SourcingAug 19, 2025
Dubai’s Jemora Group Buys Diamond Miner LucapaThe investment company, founded by Dev Shetty, has acquired the struggling miner and its assets, including the Lulo mine in Angola.
ColumnistsAug 19, 2025
Peter Smith: The Arrival Fallacy and Jewelry RetailSmith shares wisdom he gleaned from a podcast he was listening to one morning while being walked by his dog, a Malshi named Sophie.
CrimeAug 19, 2025
Customs Seizes 7,300 Pairs of Fake ‘Alhambra’ EarringsThe counterfeit Van Cleef & Arpels jewels would have been worth more than $30 million if genuine.
MajorsAug 19, 2025
MJSA Apprenticeship Program Is Nationally RecognizedThe MJSA Mentor & Apprenticeship Program received the Registered Apprenticeship Program designation by the U.S. Department of Labor.
WatchesAug 19, 2025
Casio America Names New Timepiece Division ManagerCasio executive and watch enthusiast Masaki Obu is the new general manager of its U.S. timepiece division.
MajorsAug 18, 2025
Verragio’s Michael Barabash, a ‘Kind Soul,’ Dies at 58Barabash, Verragio’s client relations representative, was a vital member of the team and is remembered as being warm and full of life.
CollectionsAug 18, 2025
John Hardy’s New ‘Dot’ Collection Is on PointOriginally introduced in 1992, the “Dot” collection is back with a capsule featuring five archival designs and three new creations.
