Big-box retailers don’t usually fall apart overnight. The slide tends to show up in small ways first: emptier aisles, slower traffic, a satisfaction score that dips a few points.
The stores below have all drawn that kind of attention in the past couple of years. The evidence comes from customer satisfaction research, foot traffic data and company sales results, and it doesn’t point the same way for every chain.
Target
Target has had a bruising stretch. Net sales for its fiscal year ended January 31, 2026 came to $104.8 billion, a decline of 1.7%. The retailer also faced four consecutive quarters of declining customer traffic.
Part of the problem is its product mix. Groceries make up only about 23% of Target’s revenue, while Walmart gets roughly 60% of its sales from essentials. A new CEO, Michael Fiddelke, started in February 2026, and Target plans to add $2 billion to its 2026 spending on a store refresh, technology and supply chain. There are early signs of improvement, since Target was the only chain tracked to post higher visits than last year during Prime Big Deal Days week, up 6%.
Kohl’s
Kohl’s has spent the year lowering expectations. It still expects full-year sales to fall between 3.5% and 4%. In a JLL back to school survey released June 30, only 3.9% of parents said they planned to shop at Kohl’s.
Shoppers also rated its online experience lower. Kohl’s online score in the ACSI study slipped from 79 to 76, a drop of 4%. Still, the traffic trend has been quietly improving. Store visits fell 1.4% in the second quarter, far smaller than the 7.7% decline in the first quarter.
Home Depot
Home Depot remains a favorite for many contractors and homeowners, yet its online shoppers have grown less happy. In the ACSI 2026 study, Home Depot’s score fell 5% to 75 in the home improvement and décor segment. That was the steepest decline among the large retailers in that table.
The researchers pointed to cost pressure. They tied the losses to ongoing inflation concerns, higher costs and supply chain strain. The picture isn’t uniformly bleak, though. In the specialty retailer ranking, Home Depot’s score rose 1% to 81.
Lowe’s
Lowe’s tells a similar story with smaller numbers. Its score in the home improvement and décor segment fell 3% to 74. The chain had introduced new technology, but that didn’t guarantee happier customers.
According to Customer Experience Dive, both Home Depot and Lowe’s rolled out AI powered features, yet their scores still declined, and higher prices may be weakening their value proposition. As with its rival, the in store picture looks better. Lowe’s specialty retail score rose 3% to 81.
Best Buy
Best Buy was the leader in its category a year earlier, so the drop stands out. Its ACSI score for technology and office retail went from 81 to 78, a decline of 4%. It’s still a respectable number, but the direction matters.
Foot traffic has been soft too. During Prime Big Deal Days, Best Buy’s visits came in slightly below normal while Kohl’s, Target and Walmart saw lifts. Against last year, Best Buy visits dropped 2.2%.
BJ’s Wholesale Club
Warehouse clubs usually enjoy loyal members, which makes BJ’s slip worth noting. In the ACSI 2025 study, BJ’s scored 77, one of the biggest satisfaction slides in the supermarket industry, down 6%. That study was based on 41,850 completed surveys.
The comparison with its rival is telling. Costco held steady at 81 in the 2026 study, unchanged from the year before. Newer BJ’s figures weren’t part of the sources reviewed here, so the 2025 drop is the most recent verified data point.
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