(Reuters) - Department store operator Kohl's Corp KSS.N said on Tuesday long-time Chief Executive Kevin Mansell would retire in May, and would be succeeded by Chief Merchandising Officer Michelle Gass.

A Kohl's gift card is seen inside a Kohl's department store in the Queens borough of New York, U.S., January 5, 2017. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

Gass joined Kohl’s in 2013 and has been instrumental in launching new product categories and adding partners and brands.

She played key roles in bringing Under Armour UAA.N into the company's stores this year and also the recently announced partnerships with Amazon.com AMZN.O, the company said.

Gass had earlier worked with Starbucks SBUX.O and Procter & Gamble PG.N.

Kohl’s is the latest U.S. department store operator to promote its merchandising chief to the top job.

Last year, bigger rival Macy's Inc M.N named its president and former chief merchandising officer, Jeff Gennette, as its CEO, succeeding retail veteran Terry Lundgren.

Mansell, a 35-year veteran at Kohl’s, has been the CEO since August 2008.

“The retail industry is going through a transformational amount of change and Michelle is extremely well qualified and positioned to lead Kohl’s through this evolution,” Mansell said in a statement.

Kohl’s said this month it would accept returns of select items bought from Amazon and sell Amazon devices at some stores in Los Angeles and Chicago, as it looks to drive traffic to its stores to boost sagging sales.

Kohl’s Chief Operating Officer Sona Chawla will succeed Mansell as the company’s president.

The retailer’s shares were up marginally at $46.48 in early trading.