Kohl's Mines the Kids

It's no accident if images of The Rock, 'N Sync, Britney Spears and Tiger Woods dominate Kohl's back-to-school merchandising program this year. The Menomonee Falls, Wis.-based department store chain surveyed 300 teens and found that The Rock – the television wrestling champion – was the choice of 38 percent of the boys as the celebrity teacher they'd most like to visit their classroom. The leading girls'choice (35 percent) was the pop singing group 'N Sync.

Among the boys, runners-up included Britney Spears and Tiger Woods (19 percent each). The girls also named actress Julia Roberts (19 percent) and actor Joshua Jackson (9 percent) of TV's “Dawson'sCreek.”

FYI, the respondents'favorite back-to-school fashions this year are jeans (38 percent) and cargo pants (34 percent) for boys and jeans overwhelmingly (74 percent) for girls.

The back-to-school survey was conducted as part of the new Kohl's Cares for Kids program being introduced in all 306 Kohl's stores in 25 states. As part of that program, Kohl's stores are currently offering two specialty back-to-school items – a Webster 5-book reference library set and dictionary/thesaurus CD-ROM-for only $5 each, with all profits benefiting children's hospitals in Kohl's markets.