• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, March 15, 2013

Department Store chain Kohl’s has selected Publicis Groupe’s Zenith to handle media duties after a review.

The company spent around $330 million on ads in 2011, according to Kantar.

Interpublic’s UM was the incumbent on the account. The agency had serviced the account for over a decade. Other contenders included WPP’s MEC and independent Horizon Media.

The client put the account in review in late November of last year. The selection comes just about a week after the company announced nine new store openings and a plan to remodel 30 of its locations this year, after remodeling 50 stores in 2012. The company has more than 1,150 stores in 49 states.

Kohl’s reported total sales of nearly $19.3 billion in its fiscal year 2012, up 2.5% with same-store sales up just 0.3%. For the year, e-commerce sales were $1.4 billion, 42% higher than the prior year.

Last month, Kohl’s CEO Kevin Mansell said that 2012 was a “disappointing year” and that the company hadn't lived up its normal customer service standards. In 2013, he added, the company’s marketing objective is “re-energize the Kohl's brand to drive more engagement, and ultimately, traffic.”

The company’s strategy is to focus more on its core customer of 35- to-54-year-old moms and to position the chain as the “savings” leader. Mansell also said the company would shift marketing expenditures more toward TV and digital to “maximize our marketing dollars.”

Zenith referred questions about the selection to the client. Reps there did not respond to queries.