But Kohl’s outgoing CEO Tom Kingsbury had no trouble this week owning up to mistakes that led to a steep drop in the retailer’s quarterly sales.Kohl’s scaled back popular private-label brands, fine jewelry and petite clothing sizes—moves that turned off shoppers and contributed to a 9.

Kohl's CEO Tom Kingsbury will step down after less than two years at the helm, paving the way for former Walmart executive Ashley Buchanan to take on the role as the department store chain looks to execute a turnaround.

Kohl’s surprise CEO departure announcement a day before its quarterly results will play on the minds of investors, who were looking out for a positive forecast from the struggling department store chain ahead of the key holiday shopping season.