Kohl's Corporation is an American department store chain headquartered in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, operating as of February 2013, 1,146 stores in 49 states. In 1998, it entered the S&P 500 list, and is also listed in the Fortune 500 (#135 in 2010). The chain was the 20th-largest retailer in the United States in 2011 in terms of revenue. Kohl's is the 4th largest US department store by sales, below JCPenney, and above Nordstrom. Kohl's wants to be easy on shoppers and tough on competition. It operates more than 1,100 discount department stores in 49 states. Nearly half of its stores are in the Midwest and West, where Kohl's continues to grow while rapidly expanding into other markets. Moderately priced name-brand and private-label apparel, shoes, accessories, and housewares are sold through centrally located cash registers, designed to speed checkout and keep staff costs down. Kohl's competes with discount and mid-level department stores. Merchandising relationships allow Kohl's to carry top brands (NIKE, Levi's, OshKosh B'Gosh) not typically available to discounters, it sells them cheaper than department stores by controlling costs. Kohl's wants to be easy on shoppers and tough on competition. It operates more than 1,100 discount department stores in 49 states. Nearly half of its stores are in the Midwest and West, where Kohl's continues to grow while rapidly expanding into other markets. Moderately priced name-brand and private-label apparel, shoes, accessories, and housewares are sold through centrally located cash registers, designed to speed checkout and keep staff costs down. Kohl's competes with discount and mid-level department stores. Merchandising relationships allow Kohl's to carry top brands (NIKE, Levi's, OshKosh B'Gosh) not typically available to discounters, it sells them cheaper than department stores by controlling costs.