12:56 PM EST, 11/24/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Kohl's (KSS) named Michael Bender its permanent chief executive as the department-store chain seeks to return to comparable sales growth.

Earlier this year, Kohl's appointed Bender as interim CEO after terminating former incumbent Ashley Buchanan over violations of the company's conflict of interest policy.

Bender's CEO appointment took effect on Sunday.

"Over the past several months as interim CEO, Michael has proven to be an exceptional leader for Kohl's -- progressively improving results, driving short and long-term strategy, and positively impacting cultural change," Chair John Schlifske said in a Monday statement.

In August, Kohl's reported annual declines in fiscal second-quarter revenue and comparable sales.

At the time, it expected revenue to decrease by 5% to 6% in the ongoing fiscal year and comparable sales to be down by 4% to 5%. The current consensus on FactSet indicates a 4.2% decline in same-store sales this year.

The company is scheduled to report its latest financial results on Tuesday. Wall Street expects a third-quarter non-GAAP loss of $0.16 and a 3.7% drop in comparable sales.

"I'm looking forward to reestablishing our leadership position by putting our customers first every day," Bender said in the Monday statement. "While we're pleased by our recent progress, we're deeply motivated to accelerate our transformation."

Shares of Kohl's gained 1.8% in midday trading, while the stock has risen nearly 14% so far this year.

Price: 15.87, Change: +0.16, Percent Change: +1.02