CivicScience engages directly with consumers, collecting over one million survey responses daily, to turn real-time insights into high-performing advertising campaigns. See how leading brands use CivicScience to drive campaign performance here.
As post-Black Friday momentum builds and gift-buyers may increase their in-store shopping this year, department stores continue to rank among the top three retailers where holiday shoppers plan to spend the most. With that in mind, CivicScience examined two department store chains – JCPenney and Kohl’s – to highlight opportunities for engaging each audience this season and beyond.
At a high level, these audiences may appear similar. CivicScience data show that they are nearly equally likely to report strong loyalty to their favorite brands, similarly likely to cut back on categories such as dining out or retail due to inflation, and respondents report comparable levels of resonance with various types of ads (e.g., humorous, informative).
Yet, beneath those similarities lie the actionable consumer insights advertisers need to effectively reach each audience in real-time. Here’s a closer look at what consumer-declared CivicScience data reveal about both groups:
Key Differences in Holiday Shopping Habits
JCPenney and Kohl’s shoppers are deal-motivated, value free shipping, and show nearly equal intent to shop across the same types of retailers for gifts. However, JCPenney customers are slightly more likely to say they’re looking forward to the holiday season more than usual, coinciding with a stronger likelihood than Kohl’s customers of spending ‘more’ on gifts this year.
Kohl’s shoppers, meanwhile, are more likely to maintain similar spending as last year, yet they’re four points more likely to say they expect to take on debt to buy holiday gifts. However, they show stronger travel intent this holiday, outpacing JCPenney shoppers by four percentage points.
Kohl’s shoppers also skew more digital, holding a five-point lead in doing more than half of their shopping online. And while they’re more likely to shop digitally, they’re also four points more likely to choose gift cards as a holiday gift.
How to Target Using Real-Time Insights
JCPenney and Kohl’s shoppers also diverge in how they interact with brands and respond to advertising – nuances that can help brands meaningfully engage each audience. CivicScience consumer-reported data show that JCPenney customers are four points more likely to save a site or product for later after clicking a digital ad, signaling a stronger tendency toward extended research and delayed conversions. Conversely, Kohl’s customers are four points more likely to say they browse the site immediately upon clicking, suggesting a preference for instant engagement, whether they buy or not.
The two customer bases also show distinct preferences in their preferred engagement channels. Kohl’s customers are three points more likely to attribute the discovery of their current favorite clothing brand to the in-store experience. Meanwhile, JCPenney shoppers show a preference for digital discovery and content. They are slightly more likely to credit advertising or social media for brand introduction.
Furthermore, subscription habits among JCPenney shoppers lean toward local news and sports, while Kohl’s customers are slightly more inclined toward national news and business content.
Targeting the Right Audience
Overall, these insights offer a preview of how JCPenney and Kohl’s shoppers are likely to diverge this holiday season and beyond. Looking ahead to 2026, the majority of both audiences anticipate having the ‘same’ amount or ‘more’ disposable income, and nearly half expect their income to be higher six months from now.
Given these expectations, understanding the nuances in how each segment researches, shops, and engages with advertising is critical. As these behaviors inevitably shift, CivicScience’s real-time, always-on data enables brands to stay ahead of those changes – reaching the right audiences at the right time and on the right channels.
