GILROY
– More than 150 people will find new part- or full-time jobs in
Gilroy when one of the first Bay Area Kohl’s Department Stores
opens its doors in mid-October.
The new store at Gilroy Crossing is part of a rollout that will
introduce 11 Kohl’s stores to the Bay Area, including two in San
Jose.
GILROY – More than 150 people will find new part- or full-time jobs in Gilroy when one of the first Bay Area Kohl’s Department Stores opens its doors in mid-October.
The new store at Gilroy Crossing is part of a rollout that will introduce 11 Kohl’s stores to the Bay Area, including two in San Jose.
Bill Lindsteadt, executive director of the Gilroy Economic Development Corp., said the new store is a welcome sight for Gilroy, and job openings will draw from as far as Salinas, San Jose and Watsonville.
“We were fortunate that they selected Gilroy as somewhere they wanted to build,” Lindsteadt said. “It certainly helps the economy and it adds to the job market.”
The store will be particularly beneficial to Gilroy residents, Lindsteadt said, as the city has not had a full-size department store since J.C. Penney’s, a smaller store located downtown, closed several years ago.
“That took away the one full-size department store we really had, so we’re happy to something like that back here,” Lindsteadt said.
Although other stores also carry items found in Kohl’s, Lindsteadt said the all-in-one convenience of Kohl’s will serve Gilroy residents well. The store sells a wide variety of national brand name apparel for men, women and children, as well as jewelry, small electronic appliances and home accessories and decor.
Lindsteadt also hailed the store as another piece of the puzzle for Gilroy Crossing, which already includes Target, Best Buy, Pier 1 Imports and several other well-known retailers and restaurants. Plans are in the works for a Super Wal-Mart, Lindsteadt said.
The Kohl’s stores will create about 1,650 jobs throughout the Bay Area. Wages range between $7.50 and $12 per hour, and full-time employees are eligible for medical benefits, a 401(k) plan, stock ownership options and discounted merchandise.
Wisconsin-based Kohl’s operates almost 600 stores in 38 states.
